Utility bills can be a cringe-worthy expense for many people, but they’re necessary. Water, electricity, heating, and AC are all things you pretty much have to have to live comfortably.
When summer and winter bring their exceptionally hot and cold weather, many people just accept their AC or heating bills will go up, and they have to pay and get through it. That’s not necessarily true, though.
There are steps you can take to keep your AC and heating costs down as much as possible, even on the hottest and coldest days of the year.
Lowering Your Utility Bill – No Matter the Season
As summer approaches, many people are looking forward to the sunshine and warm weather, longer days, vacations and more. But, that change in the weather also means a dreaded rise in air conditioning bills for many.
Once summer is over, there’s typically a nice couple of months where the weather is great and you don’t need to have your AC or heat on very often. But – just as with the hot summer weather – the winter brings low temperatures, less sunshine and shorter days that require more heat in your house.
While it’s inevitable to need a little more AC in summer or heat in winter, your bills don’t have to skyrocket! Our HVAC technicians give their expert tips on keeping your bills low no matter the season, below.
Tips From the Experts
1. Turn off your AC or heat when you don’t need it.
If you’re gone 8 hours every day at work, or you’re going on vacation, or running errands and know you won’t be home all day – turn off your AC or heating unit. This can save you some serious bucks monthly, as well as help lengthen the overall life of your unit.
2. Clean the vents and change the filters regularly.
We recommend cleaning your vents and changing your unit’s filter once a month. Dust, pet hair, air particles and more can make your unit feel like it has to work harder to maintain the temperature its set at. Keeping the vents and filters clean helps ensure your unit is running at maximum efficiency, therefore saving you money.
3. Don’t keep your thermostat by a window if you have any control over where it goes.
A thermostat near a window or in direct sunlight is going to register the temperature of your house higher than a thermostat located somewhere like in an interior hallway. This, then, will make the thermostat think your unit needs to be running more than it might actually need to be.
-
-
- Similarly, in the summer, you should close your blinds. Keeping direct sunlight out of your house will help keep the internal temperature cooler, and thus your AC unit won’t have to run as hard.
-
4. Use ceiling fans and space heaters.
These are great ways to help keep the temperature in your home comfortable for you and your family, without needing your unit to run excessively. You can set the thermostat to be a little higher or lower than you’d typically find comfortable, and then use the fan or space heater to get that last bit of comfort.
5. Install a smart thermostat.
There are varying levels of smart thermostats, but they can all help reduce your utility bill – particularly if it’s a programmable thermostat. Setting yours on a timer to automatically turn off or run at a higher/lower temperature (depending on the season) while you’re at work or gone, and adjust back to a comfortable temperature while you’re home, can help your unit run very efficiently and lower your bill.
Nobody wants their utility bills to skyrocket just because the weather changes. But you also don’t want to be uncomfortable in your own home. Luckily there are steps you can take to stay comfortable and keep your bill as low as possible!
Interested in having one of our technicians come check out your unity? Schedule a maintenance visit with us today!
