Ways to Reduce Your HVAC Energy Bills

Energy efficiency of your HVAC system has a major impact on the average Bay Area household energy bill. You can improve the efficiency of your HVAC system with proper care and maintenance. These energy saving tips can help you lower your home energy consumption and reduce your monthly utility bills.

1. Maintaining Your HVAC System

One of the best ways to boost your HVAC system’s efficiency is to make sure you maintain the unit. Preventative maintenance can go a long way in improving the performance of your unit. Tune-ups can ensure your system performs better while consuming less energy for the job. This can help you lower heating costs. It can also help you conserve more energy while improving comfort.

Maintenance tasks include the following:

• Check the control of your system
• Check the furnace and other components within the system
• Air ducts and vents are inspected and cleaned
• Thermostat is checked for ensuring proper functioning
• Clean the evaporator and condenser coils properly
• Lubrication of all moving parts
• Inspecting the condensate drain

2. Making Timely Repairs

There is a lot that can go wrong in an HVAC system. This is especially true if the system is older than 10 years. There are certain repairs that should be taken care of as soon as possible even if the system seems to work fine. Otherwise, it may place undue stress on the unit and cause it to over work. Any HVAC unit that is overworked will draw more energy and cause your utility bills to skyrocket.

You may end up paying more in terms of utility bills than repair costs. Not repairing your HVAC system in a timely manner may also cause expensive breakdowns. It is best to take care of repairs right before summer hits. You should consider having a professional technician take a look at the equipment and make all necessary repairs.

These are a few other things you can have the professional take care of:

• Cleaning and changing the air filter for improving system efficiency
• Sealing leaks in air ducts
• Checking weather stripping and caulking around windows and doors
• Installing a programmable thermostat

3. Sealing All Ducts

Your home may be losing as much as 30% cooling because of leaky ducts. Cracks and damages inside the ducts and vents can cause conditioned air loss. You should have technicians investigate and fix all damaged ducts. Technicians will ensure that all leaks are sealed do that you can start saving energy and money right away.

4. Replacing the Filter

Clean air filters are on the top of the list where energy saving tips is concerned. Your air filter is not just necessary for removing airborne contaminants. It is also important for protecting system components and maintaining good airflow.

Clogged air filters hinder the flow of air. This can force the cooling system to use more energy for moving air. Make sure you inspect and change the air filter regularly for avoiding airflow obstructions.

5. Upgrading Thermostat

Installing a smart or programmable thermostat is a great way to lower energy consumption. These thermostats help you schedule cooling based on home occupancy. You can program the thermostat to implement the most efficient cooling setting depending on the time of the day.