An Earth Day Message from Andrew McCombs, General Manager of AZ Perfect Comfort
As summer approaches, many homeowners start looking for ways to cut utility costs without sacrificing comfort. One method that gets a lot of attention is super cooling—running your air conditioner during off-peak hours to save money.
What Is Super Cooling?
Super cooling is a strategy where you set your thermostat very low—often into the 60s—during off-peak hours (usually overnight or early morning) when electricity rates are cheapest. The idea is to pre-cool your home and then coast through the hot part of the day with your AC running less or not at all.
It’s a clever idea, and in homes that are properly insulated and sealed, it can absolutely reduce your energy bill. But that’s a big “if.”
The Pros of Super Cooling
It Can Lower Your Bill
If you’re on a time-of-use rate plan and your home holds temperature well, super cooling can reduce your monthly utility costs.
It Helps the Grid
By using energy at night when demand is lower, you’re easing pressure on the electrical grid—something that’s especially important in our brutally hot summers.
It Puts You in Control
With the right setup and a programmable thermostat, super cooling can help you get ahead of peak rates and feel like you’re outsmarting the system.
But Here’s the Catch…
It Only Works in Well-Insulated Homes
Most of the time when I visit homes built before the early 2000s, I find subpar attic insulation, leaky ductwork, or unsealed attic accesses. If your home can’t hold on to that cool air, super cooling is just burning energy—and money.
It Can Make You Uncomfortable
Some people find themselves freezing in the early morning and then too warm by late afternoon. Without good thermal retention, comfort fluctuates more than it should.
It Can Overwork Older Systems
Running your AC hard during long overnight cycles can lead to added wear, especially if your system hasn’t been properly maintained.
Our Commitment: Environmental Responsibility
One of our core values at AZ Perfect Comfort is Environmental Responsibility. We are committed to environmental stewardship, offering eco-friendly solutions and practices that minimize our carbon footprint and contribute to a sustainable future for generations to come. Super cooling, when done right, is just one piece of a bigger picture. For most homes, the path to sustainability starts with energy efficiency.
My Earth Day Advice: Minimize, Modernize, and Maintain
For most of our customers, a smarter approach to cooling starts with making the home more efficient overall. That means:
- Upgrading attic or spray foam insulation
- Sealing leaky ductwork and penetrations in the attic
- Installing a smart thermostat
- Getting regular tune-ups for your HVAC system
- Considering high-efficiency equipment when it’s time for a replacement
These steps don’t just lower your energy use—they make your home more comfortable and extend the life of your equipment.
If you haven’t had a professional tune-up yet this year, this is the perfect time. You can learn more about our AC repair and maintenance services here.
About Those New A2L Refrigerants
One of the most exciting changes in our industry right now is the move to A2L refrigerants, like R-454B. These new refrigerants are more eco-friendly than R-410A and have a much lower global warming potential.
If your system is nearing the end of its life, now’s a great time to consider upgrading to a unit that uses A2L refrigerants. Not only are they better for the planet, they’re also more efficient when paired with modern equipment. You can learn more about system replacement and installation on our AC installation and replacement page.
Wondering If Super Cooling Will Work for You?
At AZ Perfect Comfort, we don’t believe in cookie-cutter solutions. I personally make sure our team takes the time to evaluate every home we work on, from insulation and ductwork to thermostat settings and utility plans.
This Earth Day, I’d love to help you find the most efficient, sustainable solution for your home. Whether that’s super cooling, an insulation upgrade, or a full system replacement with the latest refrigerant technology, we’re here to help.
Let’s make your home perfectly comfortable—without wasting energy.
Give us a call or schedule a home evaluation at www.azperfectcomfort.com.
Stay cool and take care,
Andrew McCombs
General Manager, AZ Perfect Comfort