MIAMI – Even with an afternoon rain, those air conditioning units are still humming along, leaving us all looking for ways to cool our homes, without breaking the bank.
“We have the AC unit here at a chilly 79,” Felton Brown said. He and his family stay cool by keeping the house at 79, closing blinds and curtains and making sure they have good airflow. “We want to make sure that the fans are circulating the air, especially the fan that’s near the louvers, and that the cool air is moving around the house very easily,” Brown said.
The Browns also received help by qualifying for Miami-Dade’s “Weathering Assistance Program.” “The county came out and helped us with a new air conditioning unit,” he said. “They also came out and gave us a new refrigerator, they came and put new insulation in the roof, which is kind of expensive to do. They also gave us a new water heater that’s energy efficient,” he said.
FPL has home energy surveys to find ways to cut costs and find out what’s driving up your bill. In addition to keeping the house at 78, using fans and closing blinds, FPL suggests grilling outside, getting good airflow by keeping interior doors and vents open, changing the AC filter more often, getting a smart thermostat and looking for a high efficiency AC.
“There are tax incentives and rebates available right now from FPL if customers want to replace their insulation and air conditioning,” said FPL spokeswoman Bianca Soriano.
Turning down the pool pump and lowering the water heater temperature can also help. “It’s a big driver of electricity use. You can turn it down to 120 degrees and you can also use your cold water cycle when you do laundry. You don’t really need to use hot water,” he said.
To learn about FPL programs, click here.
Click here for information on the state HVAC assistance program
Check out the Miami-Dade HVAC Assistance Program:
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