BAY VIEW, Wis. — As southeastern Wisconsin warms up, homeowners are turning on their air conditioners for the first time this year — and looking for ways to keep energy costs under control.
In Bay View, Kurt Ranft and his wife have spent 36 years transforming their house into their dream home. With sunnier days ahead, their focus has turned to outdoor projects and making sure their AC system is ready for the season.
Watch: Here's how you can save on your AC bill this summer:
“We did the research on every type of system and found that the mini splits are probably the most economical situation here,” said Kurt. “Again we’re in an area being close to the lake. We’re not all that concerned with the heat in past years. It seems to be getting just a little bit more every year, so we decided to bite the bullet.”
Because the home is heated by a boiler, it doesn’t have ducts — ruling out central air. Instead, Kurt chose ductless mini-split systems after comparing options.
“We couldn’t do central AC because we have a boiler, which means we have no vents, no ductwork, so that’s why I went with the mini splits. As far as the importance of shopping around — I checked everywhere,” he said. “So, just do your research and make sure you know what you’re doing before you spend the money.”
While at Kurt’s home, Clarence McCoy — a service manager with Uttke Heating and Cooling — shared what he’s telling customers this time of year. One common mistake? Leaving windows open too long.
“Worst thing you can do is open your windows at night cause it drops down into the 60s,” said McCoy. “Leave them open all day, come home and it’s 85 in there, turn the air on, cause the thing’s gonna run all night down to a reasonable temp.”
McCoy also advises homeowners not to wait too long to schedule annual maintenance. You can find service options Uttke Heating and Cooling's website.
“I usually say if you’re calling for maintenance end of May, beginning of June — once it gets above 55° outside then we can start doing the actual tuning clean on unit,” he said. “Most manufacturers don’t want you running air conditioners when it’s below 55° outside.”
We Energies also shared some easy, no-cost and low-cost ways to reduce your summer energy bill:
- Close blinds during the day to block out sunlight.
- Use fans to help circulate air more efficiently.
- Raise your thermostat a few degrees when you’re not home.
- Wait until evening to cook or run heat-producing appliances.
- Seal gaps around doors and windows.
- Install a programmable thermostat and schedule regular AC maintenance.
- For those looking to avoid spikes in their monthly bill, Budget Billing from We Energies spreads energy costs evenly throughout the year.
This link is a great resource for energy efficiency tips that we can use all summer long: https://news.we-energies.com/stay-cool-with-these-money-saving-tips/ [news.we-energies.com]
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