Reducing our HVAC budget is tough
When I cover up the windows tightly it reduces that exchange, and traps the cooling air inside.
When the household budget gets tight, I have to make hard choices. It was nice being able to go out for a meal once in a while, but restaurants are so expensive these days that was the first thing to be eliminated. I haven’t gone out to eat in six months, which is a bummer until I realized that choice saved me several hundred dollars. Since I am not going out, it means I am driving my car less often. This saves a lot of money on gas and upkeep. I’m considering selling the car, to save money on insurance payments. The hardest choice to make was reducing my dependence on air conditioning, so that I could save money on utility bills. The weather has been so hot, I loathe the idea of shutting off the central air conditioning even for a few hours, but it seems I have no choice. One change I made was to cover all the windows in my bedroom and living room with heavy blankets to reduce the heating exchange through the windows. As the AC runs, much of that cooling is lost because of the heat exchange in the glass. When I cover up the windows tightly it reduces that exchange, and traps the cooling air inside. I also shut off the air vents into the bathroom and kitchen, to reduce the floor space being cooled by the system. Of course, the means that when the A/C is running I have to stay inside those two rooms, because the rest of the house is no longer being air conditioned. Let’s hope it helps.