A rise in natural-gas prices and other factors will make air conditioning particularly pricey for Americans this summer, according to the Energy Information Administration’s Short-Term Energy Outlook. The surge is expected to bring AC costs up by about 4%, costing the average American home around $186 a month, according to The Wall Street Journal.
New England residents are expected to face even higher charges, the Journal reports, with average monthly bills reaching around $200.
A higher-than-expected AC bill can sneak up on you. And while this summer’s 4% uptick may not seem significant in comparison to other prices on the rise, it can interfere with your plans to allocate your summer spending elsewhere.
Experts say there are ways to save while still staying cool this summer. Here are their top tips.
Hot air seeping inward and cool air leaking outward can “destabilize the whole system,” says Piero Caballero, senior product manager at Johnson Controls, a technology and energy company.
