Survey: Homeowners are Ready To Skip Dining Out To Pay for Summer A/C Bills

A new survey from SupplyHouse finds summer cooling costs are hitting homeowners hard this year. More than three in four of the 1,000 people surveyed say energy bills are causing financial stress, and most expect to pay more than last summer, with an average anticipated bill of $221 a month. Some are going without: 15% plan to sleep in uncomfortable heat rather than run the air conditioner overnight, and 39% are delaying turning the AC on for the season at all.

To cut costs, homeowners are relying on fans instead of AC (46%), raising the thermostat to a less comfortable setting (46%), avoiding the oven or other heat-generating appliances (38%), and shutting off cooling in certain rooms (26%). If bills climb further, nearly half say they'd cut back on dining out to cover the cost.

The survey also points to a pattern of avoidance when it comes to repairs. About 43% of homeowners have put off an HVAC fix because of cost, often because the upfront price seems too high or they're afraid of what a technician might find once they look. Roughly 1 in 5 said they're too worried about the potential bill to even call a professional, and about 10% have tried a DIY fix instead. Half of those surveyed either suspect a problem with their system or know about one they haven't addressed. Overall, 22% say they feel unprepared for the financial hit of higher cooling costs this summer.