7 Tips To Reduce Your Homes Energy Cost
Getting your first electric bill after the summer starts is always a shock when your not used to your homes electric bill being so high. The following post will talk about different ways you can reduce your homes electric cost and help prevent unnecessarily high electric bills. It is still possible to have a comfortably cooled home in the summer and not pay outrageously high electric bills for your home. Follow along and see how many of these things you can fix up at your home to help reduce your electric bills.
What Is Using The Most Electricity In My Home?
The air conditioning system in your home uses the most electricity in your home on the average throughout the summer. It is also wise to note that the air conditioning unit will not use much electricity in the winter time. When the air conditioning system is turned on you use a lot of electricity. So in turn the more you use the air conditioning system for example when the outdoor temp is above 100 degrees, then you will be using tons of electricity. potentially more than you need to if your air conditioning system is not running at peak performance. With that said you can bet your homes air conditioning system is on the list in more than one way. Do not worry about the things you can’t do personally, work on what you can and if you need to call an AC repair company you can call DND Heating & Air Conditioning later to check the rest of the boxes on the list.
- Clean your air conditioning unit outside
- Change your filter monthly*
- Raise the thermostat when running AC
- Check freon in AC unit
- Insulate your ceilings (attic insulation)
- Check window & door seals
- Negotiate your power rate better
Clean Your Air Conditioning Unit Outside
The outside air conditioning unit moves air when running to dissipate the heat generated from compressing the freon. Dirt, dust, leaves, grass, pollen and other outdoor problems will all end up in the air conditioning system it is always a good idea to get it cleaned at least once a year with soap and water.
Change Your AC Filter Monthly
The indoor air filter in most homes in the McKinney area are one inch thick. This is a filter that needs to be changed about once a month. In the summertime when the unit is running a lot it needs to be changed once a month. When the weather cools off you might be able to get away with changing it out every other month but it still would need to be checked.
Raise The Thermostat When Running AC
Raise the temp on the thermostat some its too cold. In the summer it might seem like common sense but, if you raise your air conditioning setting, for every degree you go up you can save about 5% on your cooling bill. This means if your used to having your home at 70 degrees then going up to 72 will automatically reduce your cooling cost by 10%
Check Freon Level In AC Unit
Checking the freon level will need to be done by a licensed and trained air conditioning repair technician. Having too much freon can use more electricity than you should have to and if the AC unit is low on freon then your home wont cool well and your AC will need to run longer to cool, which will cost you more electricity.
Insulate Your Ceiling (Attic Insulation)
The Insulation on the ceiling of your home is very important throughout the year. In the summer your home will infiltrate heat throughout all sides of the room. Ceiling, floor, walls, doors, windows and so on. With the ceiling taking the brunt of the heat infiltration at about 38%. With that much heat coming into the room from the ceiling you stand to benefit from having your ceiling well insulated. The recommended amount of fiberglass insulation about your sheetrock is 16.5 inches.
Check Window & Door Seals
The window and door seals of an old house can leak air in and out. With older homes it is always a good idea to have the seals all checked at least once. This weather striping and caulk can prevent a lot of air from moving through the holes in your home that we call windows and or doors.
Negotiate Your Power Rate Better
You have a choice for your retail electricity provider in most of Texas. With the exception being Co-Op power areas. For everyone else make sure your power rate never goes above about 11 or 12 cents per kilowatt hour average. The key word there being average. The power company is required to place the average price per kilowatt hour you paid on each bill. They are not required to make it easy for you to find. This information can most of the time be found in a sentence somewhere on the bill. Sometimes it is on the back even! This represents the total amount you paid per kilowatt hour and should be between about 6 cents and 12 depending on the time of the year. If your above that range you should get a new power company and find one with a cheaper rate. You can search for power companies rates by the average price per kilowatt hour.
