Are you a fan of fans?

If you aren’t a fan of using fans, you should be—that is, if you like being comfortable in the summer while saving money at the same time. Just about any type of fan you can think of will help your air conditioner work more efficiently. That includes ceiling fans, box fans, oscillating desk fans and especially the fan in your central air system.

You may be thinking that fans use electricity, so how could that save money? The reason is that they use a lot less than your air conditioner’s cooling unit. Since the unit will run less when the cool air inside is constantly circulated, the net effect is a lower energy bill. Moving air also makes you feel cooler, which means you may be able to get away with setting the thermostat a little higher.

Another tip: If you are running your system’s fan and still not feeling good airflow, this could be pointing to a problem with your air filtration. When your filters are dirty, they can actually restrict airflow, which will make your fan work harder without getting you much cooler. Check the filter and, if necessary, clean it or replace it. You’ll be feeling the cool breeze in no time.