How to Lower Summer Electric Bills: 7 Proven Steps
Table of Contents
Step 1: Find Your Best Thermostat Setting for Summer to Save Money
Step 2: Learn How to Reduce Air Conditioning Costs
Step 3: Identify Appliances That Use the Most Electricity
Step 4: Use Fans and Blinds to Lower Summer Electric Bills
Step 5: Seal Air Leaks and Service Your Cooling System
Step 6: How to Make Your Air Conditioner More Energy Efficient
Step 7: Adjust Daily Habits and Utility Plans to Lower Summer Electric Bills
Read your rate plan first
Shift the loads that matter
Pre-cooling, explained
Habits that pay regardless of rate plan
If the bill is still unmanageable
Frequently Asked Questions
Last Updated: October 9, 2026
Step 1: Find Your Best Thermostat Setting for Summer to Save Money
The best thermostat setting for summer to save money is 78°F while you're home and 85°F when you're away. The U.S. Department of Energy guidance on thermostat settings notes that you can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by turning your thermostat back 7-10°F for 8 hours a day from its normal setting.
That single change is the fastest way to lower summer electric bills, and it costs nothing. But most people set it and forget it.
Here is how to get it right:
Keep it at 78°F when someone is home
Push it to 85°F when the house is empty
Use a programmable or smart thermostat so this happens without you thinking about it
A common mistake is cranking the thermostat way down when you walk in hot. That does not speed up cooling. It just runs the system longer and harder.
Pro Tip If your thermostat sits in direct sun or near a lamp, it reads the room as hotter than it is and runs the AC longer. Move it or shade it, and you may cut runtime without touching the setting.
Step 2: Learn How to Reduce Air Conditioning Costs
To reduce air conditioning costs, focus on three things: run the system less, keep the cool air inside, and keep the system working at full efficiency.
Start with these moves:
Raise the setpoint a few degrees and rely on fans for comfort
Close doors and vents in rooms you do not use
Change the air filter monthly during heavy cooling season
A dirty filter is the most overlooked cause of high cooling costs. A clogged filter chokes airflow, so the system runs longer to hit the same temperature.
If your system is old and struggling, a high-efficiency replacement can cut energy use sharply.
Step 3: Identify Appliances That Use the Most Electricity
Knowing which appliances drive your summer bill lets you spend effort where it pays back fastest.
NBC Connecticut
Here is where the power goes, what it costs to run, and what each fix is worth:
Appliance | Typical Draw | Rough Summer Cost | Low-Cost Fix | Payback |
Central air conditioner | 3,000-4,000 W running | Largest single line item | Tune-up, clean filter, raise setpoint 3-4°F | Immediate |
Electric water heater | 4,000-4,500 W element | Second largest | Drop tank to 120°F, add timer, insulate tank and first 6 ft of pipe | Weeks to one season |
Refrigerator (pre-2010) | 150-250 W continuous | Noticeable | Clean coils, check door gaskets, keep it 60-75% full | One season |
Clothes dryer | 3,000-5,000 W per cycle | Moderate | Air-dry, clean lint trap and vent, run full loads | Immediate |
Pool pump | 1,000-2,500 W | High if run 8+ hrs/day | Cut runtime, run off-peak, upgrade to variable-speed | 1-3 seasons on a variable-speed swap |
Dehumidifier | 300-700 W | Adds up in humid climates | Run only when humidity exceeds ~60%, seal the space | Immediate |
A few mechanisms worth understanding:
Water heater standby loss. A tank sitting at 140°F loses heat 24/7 even when nobody is using hot water. Dropping the setpoint to 120°F cuts standby loss and slows mineral buildup on the element. A timer that shuts the tank off overnight can cut another chunk in households that shower in the morning.
Refrigerator coil fouling. Dust on the condenser coils forces the compressor to run longer per cycle. Vacuuming coils twice a year is free and typically restores most of the lost efficiency.
Dryer vent restriction. A clogged vent lengthens every cycle. Cleaning the full duct, not just the lint screen, is a five-minute job that shortens dry time measurably.
Unused electronics also drain power. Televisions, game consoles, cable boxes, and chargers pull standby power, sometimes called vampire power, even when they are off.
Unplug devices you rarely use
Put entertainment centers on a power strip you switch off at night
Swap old bulbs for LEDs (an LED uses roughly 10% of the wattage of an incandescent for the same light)
These steps are small individually, but a household that stacks them can shave a meaningful slice off the summer bill without touching the thermostat.
Pro Tip If you want to know exactly which appliance is costing you the most, a plug-in watt meter (often under $30 at hardware stores and libraries that lend them) gives you a real number in a day. Measure the refrigerator, the cable box, and the dryer for a week and you will know where to aim.
Step 4: Use Fans and Blinds to Lower Summer Electric Bills
Fans and blinds let you feel cooler without dropping the thermostat. A ceiling fan costs far less to run than an air conditioner and can let you raise the setpoint by about 4°F with no loss of comfort.
Use them like this:
Run ceiling fans only in rooms people are in
Set ceiling fans to spin counterclockwise in summer to push air down
Close blinds and curtains on south- and west-facing windows during the day
Energy-saving curtains and reflective blinds block solar heat before it enters. On a west-facing window, that can mean a real drop in afternoon cooling load.
Watch Out Running a ceiling fan in an empty room wastes money. Fans cool people, not rooms, so switch them off when you leave.
Step 5: Seal Air Leaks and Service Your Cooling System
Sealing air leaks and servicing your cooling system keeps the cool air you paid for inside the house. Gaps around doors, windows, and ductwork let conditioned air escape and hot attic air sneak in.
Check these spots:
Weatherstrip around doors and windows
Seal gaps where pipes and wires enter walls
Tape or seal leaky duct joints in attics and crawl spaces
On the service side, an annual tune-up keeps the system running at peak efficiency. A technician checks refrigerant levels, cleans coils, and tightens electrical connections. Skipping this step is a common mistake that quietly raises your bill all summer.
Step 6: How to Make Your Air Conditioner More Energy Efficient
To make your air conditioner more energy efficient, combine good maintenance with smart operation and, when the system is old, an upgrade. Efficiency is not one fix. It is a stack of small ones.
Try these:
Keep the outdoor unit clear of leaves, grass, and debris
Shade the outdoor unit, but never block airflow around it
Seal and insulate ducts that run through hot spaces
When a system is more than 10-15 years old, repairs start to cost more than they save. A high-efficiency replacement can cut cooling costs noticeably. Grace Mechanical Services installs high-efficiency heating and cooling systems and tunes them so they run at their rated performance.
Step 7: Adjust Daily Habits and Utility Plans to Lower Summer Electric Bills
Most guides tell you to run the dishwasher at night. That advice only pays off if your utility actually charges more during the day. The real lever is understanding your rate plan and shifting the biggest loads into the cheapest hours. Two homes can use identical kilowatt-hours and pay very different bills depending on when that power is drawn.
Read your rate plan first
Pull up your utility account or a recent bill and look for the rate schedule name. Most residential customers fall into one of these:
Flat rate. One price per kWh all day. Shifting load does not change the bill, so focus on total usage instead.
Tiered rate. Price per kWh rises as you cross usage thresholds. The win here is cutting total consumption, especially in the top tier.
Time-of-use (TOU). Price varies by hour, with a peak window (often late afternoon through evening on summer weekdays) priced several times higher than off-peak. Shifting load is the whole game.
If you are on a TOU plan and do not know your peak window, you are likely running the dryer, dishwasher, and pool pump at the most expensive hour of the day.
Shift the loads that matter
The loads worth moving are the ones that draw thousands of watts for an hour or more:
Clothes dryer. Run full loads in the early morning or after 9 p.m. If your plan has a super-off-peak window overnight, that is the cheapest slot.
Dishwasher. Use the delay-start feature to run after peak ends. Skip the heated-dry cycle and let dishes air-dry.
Electric water heater. If you have a timer or a smart controller, heat water during off-peak hours and let the tank coast through peak.
Pre-cooling, explained
Pre-cooling works because a house has thermal mass, furniture, drywall, and flooring absorb cool air. If you chill the house to 74°F before the peak window and then set the thermostat to 80°F when peak starts, the AC may not run at all for the first hour or two of the expensive period. The trade-off is that you used more power earlier, so this only pays off when the peak-to-off-peak price ratio is large, typically 2:1 or more.
Habits that pay regardless of rate plan
Turn off lights and ceiling fans in empty rooms
Unplug unused electronics or use switched power strips
Air-dry laundry when weather allows
If the bill is still unmanageable
Summer bills sometimes outrun what behavior changes can fix. Utilities and states offer several forms of help:
Budget billing / levelized payment plans. Your utility averages your annual usage into a flat monthly payment so summer spikes do not hit all at once. Ask your utility to enroll.
Payment arrangements and shutoff protections. Most states have rules limiting shutoffs during extreme heat for certain households. Contact your utility before a disconnect notice, not after.
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). A federally funded program administered by states that helps eligible households with heating and cooling bills. Apply through your state's LIHEAP office.
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). Federally funded, state-run, and free to qualifying households. Crews air-seal, insulate, and sometimes repair or replace inefficient equipment at no cost.
Key Takeaway The biggest lever is not one heroic change. It is stacking a better thermostat setting, air sealing, and off-peak habits so they work together all summer, and knowing which of those your specific rate plan actually rewards.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best ways to lower your electric bill in summer?
Start by setting your thermostat to 78°F when you're home and higher when you're away. Use ceiling fans to feel cooler without lowering the temperature. Close blinds during the day to block heat, and seal air leaks around windows and doors. Unplug unused electronics to avoid standby power. Run large appliances like the dishwasher and dryer in the evening to avoid peak demand. These steps together can cut your summer electric bills significantly.
What appliances use the most electricity in summer?
Air conditioning is the biggest energy user in summer, often accounting for half your electric bill. Water heaters, refrigerators, and clothes dryers are next. Dehumidifiers and pool pumps also draw heavily. To reduce consumption, set your AC higher, wash clothes in cold water, and air-dry dishes. Unplugging unused electronics prevents standby power waste. For a detailed breakdown, an energy audit can pinpoint exactly where your home uses the most electricity.
Is 74°F a good thermostat setting to save money on electricity?
74°F is comfortable but not the most energy-saving setting. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends 78°F when you're home and higher when you're away. Each degree you raise the thermostat can save about 3% on cooling costs. If 78°F feels too warm, use ceiling fans to improve comfort. A smart thermostat can automatically adjust settings for you, making it easier to stick to energy-saving temperatures.
How can I make my air conditioner more energy efficient?
Schedule professional maintenance each spring to clean coils, check refrigerant, and replace filters. Change filters monthly during heavy use. Seal duct leaks and insulate ducts in unconditioned spaces. Install a programmable or smart thermostat. Keep outdoor units clear of debris and shade them if possible. These steps improve energy efficiency and can lower your summer electric bills. For complex issues, call a licensed HVAC technician.
Summer heat will push your cooling system hard, and that is when small problems turn into big bills or a mid-July breakdown. Grace Mechanical Services is a family-owned team that handles HVAC and electrical work under one roof, from high-efficiency installs to 24/7 emergency service. We tune your system so it runs at its best and help you find the savings that actually stick. Book a service with Grace Mechanical Services and get your summer cooling costs under control.
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