July in the Philadelphia area means one thing — heat. The kind of thick, humid heat that has your air conditioning running around the clock and your energy bills climbing higher with every passing week. For most households, cooling costs represent the single largest portion of the summer electric bill, and when temperatures stay elevated for days at a time, those costs can add up fast.
The good news is that staying comfortable does not have to mean paying through the roof every month. With a few smart habits and some attention to how your home and your AC system are working together, most homeowners can meaningfully reduce their cooling costs without sacrificing comfort. At Gans Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, we have been helping families in the Havertown and Main Line area stay comfortable since 1926, and these are the tips we find make the biggest real-world difference.
Start With Your Thermostat Settings
Your thermostat is the single biggest lever you have when it comes to controlling cooling costs. Every degree you raise the set temperature reduces the workload on your system and lowers your energy consumption. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends setting your thermostat to 78°F when you are home and raising it several degrees when you are away or asleep.
A programmable or smart thermostat makes this effortless. You can set schedules that automatically adjust the temperature based on when you are home, away, or in bed — so you are never paying to cool an empty house. If you do not already have a programmable thermostat, it is one of the most cost-effective upgrades you can make.
A few thermostat tips worth keeping in mind:
- Avoid dramatic setbacks. Dropping your thermostat to 68°F when you get home from work does not cool your home faster — it just makes your system run longer.
- Keep the thermostat away from heat sources like lamps or direct sunlight, which can cause it to read higher than the actual room temperature and run the system unnecessarily.
- Use the “auto” fan setting rather than “on” so the fan only runs when the system is actively cooling.
Reduce Heat Gain Inside Your Home
Your AC system is fighting two battles at once — removing the heat that enters your home from outside and dealing with the heat generated inside. Reducing both sources of heat gain means your system does not have to work as hard to maintain a comfortable temperature.
Here is where to focus:
- Block sunlight during peak hours. Close blinds, curtains, or shades on south and west-facing windows during the afternoon when the sun is most intense. Cellular shades and blackout curtains are particularly effective at reducing solar heat gain.
- Avoid heat-generating appliances during the hottest part of the day. Running your oven, dishwasher, or clothes dryer in the afternoon adds significant heat to your home. Shift these tasks to the morning or evening when temperatures are lower.
- Switch to LED lighting. Incandescent bulbs release a significant portion of their energy as heat. LED bulbs run much cooler and use far less electricity — a simple swap that reduces both your lighting costs and your cooling load.
- Use exhaust fans strategically. Kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans pull hot, humid air out of the home. Run them during and after cooking or showering to remove that heat before it spreads through the house.
Make Your AC System Work More Efficiently
Even a well-maintained system loses efficiency if the conditions around it are not optimized. A few simple steps can help your existing equipment perform at its best all summer long.
- Change your air filter regularly. A clogged filter restricts airflow and forces your system to work harder to move air through the home. During peak summer months, check your filter every 30 days and replace it when it is visibly dirty.
- Keep the outdoor condenser unit clear. Make sure there is at least two feet of clear space around your outdoor unit. Trim back any shrubs or plants that have grown close to it, and clear away any debris, leaves, or grass clippings that may have collected around the base.
- Check your vents and registers. Make sure supply and return vents throughout the home are open and unobstructed by furniture, rugs, or curtains. Blocked vents disrupt airflow and reduce the system’s ability to cool evenly.
- Seal leaks around doors and windows. Cool air escaping through gaps around doors, windows, and ductwork means your system is running longer to compensate. Weatherstripping and caulking are inexpensive fixes that can make a noticeable difference.
Use Fans to Extend Your AC’s Reach
Ceiling fans and portable fans do not actually lower the temperature in a room, but they make it feel several degrees cooler by creating a wind chill effect on your skin. This means you can raise your thermostat setting by a few degrees without feeling any less comfortable — and that difference translates directly into energy savings.
Make sure your ceiling fans are set to run counterclockwise in the summer, which pushes air straight down and creates that cooling breeze effect. And remember to turn fans off when you leave a room — fans cool people, not spaces, so running them in an empty room just wastes electricity.
Do Not Overlook Annual Maintenance
If your system is running constantly, struggling to keep up on hot days, or your energy bills are noticeably higher than last summer, the culprit may be a system that is overdue for professional attention. An AC annual maintenance visit addresses the mechanical and performance factors that quietly reduce efficiency over time — dirty coils, low refrigerant, worn electrical components, and restricted airflow are all common culprits that a tune-up will catch and correct.
A well-maintained system simply runs more efficiently than a neglected one, and the energy savings over the course of a full cooling season typically more than offset the cost of the maintenance visit itself.
Know When It Is Time for an Upgrade
If your air conditioning system is more than 15 years old and your energy bills have been creeping up year after year, it may be worth exploring your AC replacement options. Today’s high-efficiency systems operate at significantly higher SEER ratings than equipment manufactured even ten years ago, which means they deliver the same level of cooling for considerably less electricity. In some cases, the energy savings from a new system can be substantial enough to offset a meaningful portion of the replacement cost over time.
If you are curious about whether an upgrade makes financial sense for your situation, our team is happy to walk you through the numbers honestly and help you make an informed decision.
Let Gans Plumbing Help You Stay Comfortable This Summer
Staying cool and keeping your energy bills manageable this July does not require any major investment — just a few smart habits, some attention to your system, and a trusted partner to call when something needs professional attention. Gans Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning has been serving the Havertown and Main Line community for nearly 100 years, and we are here to help with everything from routine maintenance to full system replacement.
If your system is not performing the way it should or you have questions about how to get more out of your equipment this summer, contact Gans Plumbing today — we are always happy to help.