It has been an unusually hot summer for the city of Chicago, and if you’re like most residents, you’re looking to keep your home cool without tripling the cost of your energy bill. One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning® of Elk Grove is a leading air conditioning service in Chicago, and we know how to make your home extra comfortable during these hot summer months. By properly setting your thermostat, you’ll slash your utility bills, conserve energy and reduce wear and tear on your cooling equipment.

Schedule Your Thermostat Properly

When programming an AC thermostat, you can adjust the settings to meet your lifestyle. At the most basic level, your thermostat should have four settings to account for early morning, afternoon, evening and late night. There’s no reason to have the air conditioning running at the same temperature throughout the day. Also schedule the thermostat for weekends and vacations to account for more or less time being spent at home.

Set the Fan on “Auto” Mode

It may seem logical to place the fan on “on” mode so that cool air is consistently distributed throughout the home. However, since the air conditioner has a dual purpose – to cool the home and move air – there is no need to let the fan run constantly. By doing this, the fan will continue to run and waste energy even when the cooling portion is not running. Instead, choose “auto” mode, and the fan will shut off when the cooling part turns off.

Test out Temperatures

Consider that many people can live comfortably in a home that is 78 degrees. If this seems too hot for you, start at another temperature, and work your way up. Each degree results in energy savings, and you’ll be surprised at just how comfortable your home will stay even at higher temperatures. As a goal, you should have your thermostat set at 7 degrees higher when you are away from home and 4 degrees higher when you’re sleeping.

Have Your System Maintained

Another way to see summer energy savings is to have your heating and cooling system serviced regularly. Our team at can inspect your system, replace an old thermostat with a new, programmable one and switch out your air filters. Serving Chicago and its suburbs, you can schedule your appointment by calling us at (847) 744-9447. See you in one hour!

One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning® of Elk Grove provides HVAC services for the cities of Elk Grove Village, Roselle, Park Ridge, Schaumburg, Chicago, and other cities in Illinois.