Whether you use an umbrella, tarp or shrub, putting a shade over your central A/C unit won’t help you reduce energy costs. It can even make your power bill go up.

To find the best air conditioners to recommend, our team tested more than a dozen units in our homes and offices in bedrooms, ...

Central ACs are controlled using a thermostat and automatically adjust for efficiency. Expect the cost to run central air to vary depending on your home and unit size.

Which is more efficient: running the air conditioning all summer long without break, or turning it off during the day when you’re not there to enjoy it? Three engineers run the numbers.

Putting a shade over your central A/C unit doesn’t make it run more efficiently. In fact, it could actually cause added problems.