According to the US Department of Energy, air conditioning and heating contribute about 43 percent of utility bills. This means that the AC contributes significantly to the energy bill especially during the hot summer period. It’s high time you realized that your habits might be contributing to the high bill. This will allow taking steps to lower your AC contribution to the huge energy costs. Below are some habits to avoid for your electricity bill not to get out of control.
Poor home insulation
Differences between indoor and outdoor temperatures affect your air conditioner with subsequent effect on the electricity bill. It costs considerably more to enjoy cool air in a poorly insulated home. This is because you are likely losing most of it. Your air conditioner probably has to work more to ensure that you have appropriate cool air indoors.
When you realize your energy bill going out of control, ensure to call a professional to conduct an energy audit. Afterward, the professional will advise you on steps to enhance your home insulation. With that rectified, your air conditioner will work efficiently to ensure good indoor air quality. With time, you are likely to notice a significant decline in your electricity bill.
Using an inefficient unit
It is not a good idea to keep postponing routine maintenance of your AC unit. This might be the reason for the skyrocketing electricity bills. Perhaps your air conditioner runs inefficiently because it lacks service. You should consider scheduling an air conditioning service in Houston regularly to maintain your unit’s overall performance. This might be the solution to avoiding high energy bills.
Routine professional maintenance of your AC allows discovering and fixing issues early. This saves you from having to pay higher when the issues escalate. Additionally, professional AC service allows appropriate diagnosis and fixing of any inefficiency with your unit. This will ensure that your unit is always working efficiently without contributing to the skyrocketing energy bill.
Keeping an outdated unit
It is very costly to use an old air conditioning system. The efficiency of the unit reduces with time and your current unit might have lost efficiency some time back. This is likely to make the unit work harder leading to high electricity bills. The most viable solution is to replace the old air conditioner for a new unit. It might cost you a considerable amount but this will be paid back in reduced electricity bills since the unit is obviously more energy efficient.
An outdated unit works harder leading and requires more energy. Additionally, sticking to an old air conditioner is likely to cost you more in repairs. In such circumstance, it is more viable to upgrade the unit to a new one. modern air conditioning units are energy efficient leading to a significant decrease in energy bills.
Faulty AC ducts
It is very important to always check the ducts for partial blockages, torn insulation, and holes. For any faults in the ducts, there is likely to be lack of cool air in all the rooms in the house. This is likely to happen regardless of how hard the AC works. You are likely to end up paying for air that escapes without making you feel good inside your home.
The best thing to do is to enlist the services of a professional technician to check the ducts. This allows for fixing any issues to ensure efficiency. The technician will check your air conditioning system for mechanical faults and have them fixed. After this, your unit will end up working optimally with significant energy savings.
Keeping the thermostat always switched on
Do you always keep your AC thermostat switched on? This might be the reason for the skyrocketing energy bill. You have to always switch off your thermostat. A good idea is to invest in a programmable thermostat. These come in various options including those you program for different schedules and smart ones managed remotely. This allows setting the temperature at a lower degree when away from home and a higher degree when indoors.
With this, you will always ensure that you have a comfortable environment without spending much on energy bills. You are likely to save about one percent on the energy bill for each degree the thermostat is set back depending on the season. The pre-programmable thermostat will ensure that you always have the right temperature on waking, sleeping, or away from home. There is no need to always keep setting the temperature.
Bottom line
An air conditioner is an essential accessory in a Houston home or business environment. It ensures appropriate indoor living conditions and enhances indoor air quality. Do you have any of the habits highlighted above? This is the right moment to take steps to lower your energy bill by knowing the best way to take care of your air conditioner. Scheduled maintenance and repair help improve efficiency while upgrading to a modern unit will lessen energy bills.
