How to lower high summer electricity bills from air conditioning
Astronomical power bills are driven by inefficient cooling running constantly in small spaces. This stops people on limited budgets from keeping comfortable without facing hundreds of dollars in unexpected utility costs.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Upgrading insulation and attic insulation
- 2Installing energy-efficient windows
- 3Sealing ductwork and air sealants
- 4Cooling fewer rooms using mini splits
- 5Buying and installing an inverter window AC unit to run in specific rooms at night while raising the central thermostat setting.
- 6letting unused upstairs bedrooms warm up to 84 degrees
- 7focusing on insulation or windows instead of replacing working equipment
- 8washing condenser coils and changing air filters frequently
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“My june, july & august electricity bill was north of 400 buck in southwest nm.”source ↗
“What are my best investment options to bring down the light bill, without breaking my very limited bank?”source ↗
“I have a 400 sq ft space and my power bill has been astronomical. It’s noisy and barely holds 70°.”source ↗
“it’s less about the temperature and more about a $320 power bill for a studio apartment”source ↗
“I currently pay about $500/ mo for electric during the summer to keep the rooms we use to 72 degrees.”source ↗
“In general, the house is not very energy efficient, but there’s not a ton more I can think to do without seriously affecting the aesthetic / original design.”source ↗
“what should I do to invest in improvements? Is this equipment old? Do I need to get a heat pump? Any other ideas?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 6Why is my AC not lowering indoor humidity?
- 2How do I find out what size AC unit I have?
- 3How to cool a house without ducts or ugly wall units
- 7Why won't my AC cool the house when it's extremely hot outside?
- 50Landlord built a fence around the AC and it broke
- 2Why is my electric bill so high in the summer?