Have a trained technician check your system once every two or three years.

These professionals will check the refrigerant level, filters, and coils and replace or clean them as necessary to ensure that your system is working at maximum efficiency. Simple things like a dirty inflow filter or too much refrigerant can make your system operate as much as 10 per cent less efficiently. Also make sure that the incoming air flow is measured, especially on older units, as too little air flow can reduce energy efficiency and the lifetime of the system.

Seal the duct and vent system in your home.

This is a very important one because if you are spending the money to heat or cool your home, you don’t want to lose that investment in the leaky ducts of your house. As much as 20 percent of the heated or cooled air your system creates can be lost in your home’s duct system! If you want to take energy conservation into your own hands, use mastic sealant or metal tape to cover up holes and leaks, especially in your home’s basement or attic. Also carefully seal the connections to vents. Many professional contractors can seal your entire ducting system as part of a whole house energy efficiency approach.

Use ceiling fans!

This is a great way to circulate the cool or warm air generated by your air conditioning and heating system throughout your house. Most houses tend to concentrate hot or cold air in certain rooms in the house. A fan doesn’t use very much electricity and can effectively push the air you want into the rooms that don’t have it, allowing your air conditioning or heating system to operate more efficiently.

Shade the outside compressor unit of your air conditioner.

Use shrubs, trees, walls, or fences to keep the unit constantly in the shade, while making sure you don’t impede the air intake. Locating the compressor on the north side of the house is the best way to make sure it is operating efficiently.

Install a programmable thermostat.

If you are routinely away from your house, this is a great way to improve energy efficiency. You can program the thermostat to keep your house cooler or warmer while you are away, and then have your system turn on an hour or so before you get home. This means your house will be just the way you left it when you get home: nice and comfortable. A programmable thermostat can save you as much as $180 a year! Now that’s energy conservation.

Keep the humidity in the home as low as possible.

Humidity makes your air conditioner’s compressor work harder to cool air, so the drier the air, the more efficient the cooling process. Set things outside to dry, turn on the bathroom exhaust fan when showering, and make sure your dryer has an external vent. 

Turn off the breaker to your air conditioner in the winter.

Even if you have the unit switched off, the coils inside the system still use energy. Make sure to switch the breaker back on at least 24 hours before using the unit again the next year to prevent damage. 

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