Our Blog

Have you noticed? The days are getting longer and warmer. It’s a sure sign that spring is here. You’ve likely been using your furnace less often as a result, and are even thinking about running the air conditioner again. As one of the leading new home builders in Frisco, Landon Homes is committed to building energy efficient houses for its customers. That’s why it encourages home buyers to follow these tips for lowering your home cooling costs.

1. Open the Windows – Once the temperature gets above 50 degrees, go ahead and turn off the furnace and open up the windows. It will take a while for the outdoor air to affect the temperature in your home, but once it does, your home temperature should stay fairly stable. It’s also a good idea to keep the air conditioning off as long as the outside temperature stays under 90 degrees. Those lower energy bills will help keep you cool. Of course, if the heat and humidity make it uncomfortably warm in the house, you can always turn the A/C back on.

2. Change the Ceiling Fan Setting – As the days get warmer, make sure that your ceiling fan blades are rotating in a counter clockwise position. This will make the fan blow air straight down to keep you cool, and allow you to leave the air conditioner off. (The blades should turn clockwise when it’s cool outside.) Most ceiling fans have a switch that allows you to adjust the blade rotation. It takes relatively little energy to run ceiling fans in the appropriate direction, but the cost savings you get from keeping the A/C off will add up.

3. Open the Drapes, Use Natural Light – You can keep from turning on the lights in your house by opening your drapes and curtains and letting in as much natural sunlight as possible. You’d be surprised at how much of an effect this can have on your energy bill. If the weather gets too warm, the sunlight will heat up your home’s interior, but when it’s cool, that natural light will brighten a room and lower your heating costs.

4. Do Dishes and Laundry at Night – During the winter, it makes sense to do household chores that produce heat during the day. That extra heat helps your furnace to work a bit less. But in the spring, it’s warmer during the day, so consider doing the dishes and laundry during the late evening hours. The excess heat will add warmth to your home. If those chores keep the furnace from clicking on, you’ll reap the benefit when you see a drop in your next monthly utility bill.

Enjoy the spring weather by going outside, of course. But let the nice weather help you save on home cooling costs. If you’re thinking about buying a new home this year, visit the Landon Homes website to see the wide variety of floor plans we have to offer. We’re sure you’ll find that among the new home builders in Frisco, our homes are better built, by design.

This post was written by Landon Homes.