Everyone wants a cool and comfortable home throughout the year, but no one wants to spend more than necessary on utility bills to keep the home comfortable. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to cut energy costs and save money by adjusting or upgrading HVAC equipment. Follow these tips, and you will notice the difference in your budget.
Careful Control
One of the simplest ways to lower electric costs is to make sure HVAC equipment isn’t running when it doesn’t need to be running. Try setting the thermostat a few degrees higher before going to bed in the summer; your body can tolerate higher temperatures while you are asleep, so you may not notice the comfort difference at all. Likewise, the temperature can be set a little lower overnight in the winter without making too much of an impact. Turning air conditioners off before leaving the home for an extended period can be a good choice, too, since they won’t take long to cool things down when you return.
For the ultimate in energy-saving control, consider investing in a programmable thermostat for your heating and cooling equipment. By turning your air conditioning off while the home is vacant and bringing it back on in time for your return, these systems can save you money without impacting home comfort at all. If your home has one or more unused rooms, try getting a zoned system that can shut off the air conditioning in places where it is not needed.
Preventative Maintenance
Heating and cooling devices are fairly complex machines that are prone to a number of issues. Left unchecked, emerging problems can lower energy efficiency and thus cause your utility bills to spike. On the other hand, a little home maintenance work will keep your system running efficiently and reduce energy costs. At the start of the cooling season and monthly thereafter, change or clean the air filters in your air conditioners and check for corroded wiring, low refrigerant levels and other problems.
The best way to make sure your HVAC equipment is as running as efficiently as possible is to get professional maintenance from a licensed HVAC contractor. During service visits, HVAC technicians will check your machines for any growing problems and make small calibration adjustments intended to reduce energy costs. Thus, professional maintenance will help you save money two ways: Your utility bills will go down, and the risk of expensive future repairs will likewise drop.
HVAC Upgrades
Ultimately, you can only get so much out of an aging, inefficient machine. The HVAC industry is constantly working to improve energy efficiency without sacrificing comfort, and investing in a new system will help you benefit from that hard work. When looking into HVAC upgrades, find out how much of an impact the new machine will have on your monthly utility bills and compare that change to the cost of the purchase and installation. Often, an upgraded system will pay for itself in short order, and in the meantime, you will enjoy the benefits of improved home comfort. Call Griffith Energy Services Inc. today and let our trained staff walk you through how to save money.
Written by Kevin Spain
