Baker Fred "Gene", Evans, Audrey A., Reichel, Claudette H.
Many people think of the air conditioner as something that puts cool air into the home. What it really does is remove heat from the home. So an understanding of how heat gets in the home is key to choosing the most cost-effective ways to cut summer utility bills while staying cool and comfortable.
Top Sources of Heat Gain
The sources of heat gain in a typical newer home in summer, in order of largest to smallest sources of heat, are:
Although the proportions of heat gain from each source vary among houses and lifestyles, the top three offer areas of greatest opportunity to save money and stay cooler.
Most cost-effective investments for reducing summer utility bills
For a typical home, here are the top six investments you can make to reduce your summer utility bills while staying cool and comfortable. The sequence is loosely based on typical potential benefits balanced with costs but will vary from house to house.
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