We’ve all lived it, immense amounts of heat in our southern California residences. Summer is right around the corner and we should all be prepared for the weather that will challenge our systems and wallets. But what exactly do we prepare for, and how? In California mercury hits higher digits, leading to much higher temperatures and more HVAC usage. We plan to look at how navigate these increased HVAC expenses and manage them.
Costs To Be Knowledgeable Of
Energy Prices – California definitely has some of the highest energy costs in the country. Residential energy costs are much higher than the national average, coming from renewable energy sources and higher state taxes. Naturally HVAC systems are on much more frequently during the summer and those costs add up. More demand with higher than average cost means users need to be wary of how much they are using their units.
System Efficiency & Maintenance – The efficiency of your unit goes a long way in calculating the overall cost you have to pay to run it. Newer systems with higher SEER ratings and ones maintained well typically end up costing less to operate. Conversely, poorly managed & less efficient systems are too much to manage. Upgrading to a new system can improve the overall monthly spend a significant amount (20%+). Maintenance is something every homeowner should strongly consider. The cost of a maintenance plan is extremely efficient for homeowners. It is a fractional cost of repair and it covers a lot of potential problems that come with natural wear and tear. Check out our maintenance programs here.
Managing Thermostat – Effectively managing your thermostat has a very big impact on your overall heating & cooling costs. The US department of energy recommends homeowners leave the thermostat at 78 degrees when home and higher when away. However, we both know most people like to keep it in the 70-72 degree range. Each degree of extra cooling increases energy usage by 6-8%. Becoming more tolerant of a simple change like 75 or 76 degrees vs 70 or 71 will have a significant impact on your bill long term.
Sealing and Insulation – Insulation makes a big impact on the efficiency of cooling within a household. Gaps within windows and doors cause cool air to escape and keeping temperatures naturally higher. This causes your AC unit to work harder to achieve the setting you are putting it at, ultimately leading to higher costs. Investing in better leak sealing and insulation will have a huge impact on costs in the long run.
Practical Tips for Lowering Costs
Shade & Reflective Materials – Having shades and blinds throughout the house, painting your house a lighter color, and reflective roofing are just some ways to increase cooling. Your AC is not the only way to minimize heat throughout the home, and these alternative methods aren’t recurring costs. This makes them very practical for the long term after the initial investment. Highly effective when you are home, but also useful when you aren’t.
Programmable Thermostats – As mentioned before thermostat management is extremely key for keeping costs down. Getting a smart thermostat facilitates this a lot, by being able to program it according to your availability. If you’re not going to be home you can tell it to not do anything or if you know certain people such as children will be home when you’re not, you can set it appropriately.
Alternative Cooling Methods – House fans and ceiling fans are very useful tools for air circulation. This also takes the pressure off of your AC unit to be the sole source of cooling throughout your home. Dependent on how your ducting & vents are set up, this can alleviate a lot of pressure on the system. During nights when your HVAC unit is probably not needed, opening windows and using fans (if required) will go a long way to saving costs.
Rebates & Incentives – The government certainly incentivizes you to upgrade to a newer system through multiple discounts they offer. They want you to use newer technology and they provide a kickback for those willing to do so. It is a double benefit because new units are more efficient, so if you can manage the up front cost of a new system, you should certainly consider it.
Final Thoughts
Looking through the different ways that you can save money, there are plenty of possibilities that homeowners can utilize to be ready for summer. We certainly have a hefty set of costs ahead of us, but there are definitely ways we can mitigate it. Overall, we just have to be willing to go a little farther in effort outside of our AC units. From maintaining your current unit, alternative heating, or upgrading, there are ways to save costs. Which methods work best for you, you’ll ultimately have to decide for yourself. Unit maintenance is certainly the best low hanging fruit that every homeowner can take advantage of now. If you have more questions feel free to reach out to us directly (714) 813-0584.