Summer’s here, and if you live on the second floor of a building, there’s a good chance that you are really feeling the heat. The trapped, warm air that makes the indoors unbearable during the summer has some real repercussions. For instance, one might have a hard time getting to sleep and staying asleep in such conditions, which could make the following workday quite difficult.

The solution for many is an air conditioning system, and indeed, two-thirds of all homes in the U.S. have air conditioners. A cooling system in the summer is almost just as integral as a heating system in the winter. But the problem with that is that it tends to jack up the utility bill significantly. Check out these three ways to lower your utility bills in both seasons, and still get the best of both worlds by staying appropriately cool or warm:

Invest Wisely
You have to spend money to make money, as the saying goes, and sometimes you must spend money to save money, as well. Switching to high-efficiency air conditioners and taking other actions to keep your home cool could reduce energy use for air conditioning by 20 – 50%, and the same goes for high efficiency heaters and water boilers. The cost may seem steep now, but after you lower your utility bill significantly for a couple of years, you’ll see how much it really pays off.

Clean, Clean, Clean
Most furnaces last from 15 to 18 years, and air conditioners can also last for quite a long time. But, this is on one condition — that you properly maintain and clean them. It may be shocking to some first-time homeowners how much debris and dust gets caught up in their furnace and cooling vents and filters. These blockages make the system work harder, straining its internal machinery and ultimately leading to a higher utility bill in the long term and a system that needs replacing sooner rather than later.

Seal
You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again — caulk and seal! The more air that escapes from crawl spaces and cracks in your walls, the more you’ll need furnace repair down the line.

Remember, stay in contact with your HVAC specialists!