Bad HVAC Habits That Can Increase Your Energy Bills
August 23, 2023
Have you noticed a surge in your utility bills? Do you believe there is something unusual about energy consumption at your home? If the answer is yes, then there may be a few habits you need to let go of, especially when it comes to how you use and maintain your HVAC system.
Read on as we highlight a few HVAC habits that may be causing your utility bills to soar.
What Bad HVAC Habits Could Be Causing High Utility Bills?
If you’re looking for ways to decrease energy consumption and potentially lower your monthly utility bil, here are a few energy-wasting HVAC habits to address.
Not Scheduling Regular HVAC Maintenance
One of the most significant contributors to energy inefficiency in any home is the failure to schedule professional HVAC maintenance. Dismissing routine maintenance as unnecessary can cost you — not only in higher monthly utility bills but also in potentially expensive breakdowns.
Since your HVAC system is one of the units in your home that consumes a lot of electricity, it is essential to keep it at peak performance. When the heating and cooling system is used for a long time without maintenance, it will wear out and start to strain when heating or cooling your house. This will make it consume more energy leading to a spike in utility bill cost.
If you’re not excited about taking care of routine HVAC maintenance, call Hamilton for a professional checkup. Our professional HVAC technicians know exactly what a system needs to function properly.
Pushing Your HVAC System Too Hard
Although not many people know this, setting your HVAC system to an indoor temperature that is significantly lower or higher than the outdoor temperature can lead to increased energy consumption.
You may want to recline on your sofa and enjoy a nice and cool ambiance on summer days, but the further you push the system, the more energy-efficient it will become. The solution is to ensure that your indoor and external temperatures don’t vary that much.
Not Cleaning and Changing Filters
One of the things that most people tend to forget is to clean and replace air filters regularly. When left unattended, air filters can get clogged with dust and debris. With use, air filters get clogged with dust, pollen, pet dander, and all sorts of contaminants trying to make their way into your home.
If you forget to routinely replace the air filter, at least once every few months, the HVAC system will have a harder time blowing air into the home, driving up energy costs. This will also make their purpose of cleansing the indoor air quite challenging. This will, in turn, overwork the HVAC system, leading to increased energy consumption.
It is imperative that you replace air filters monthly during the cold season, or more frequently if the HVAC unit seems to be overworking.
Leaving Windows Open When the AC is Running
At times, you may open the doors and windows to allow the free flow of air into your house. However, you may find yourself forgetting to shut them off after you turn on the AC.
When doors and windows are left open, they allow humid air to find its way into your home and allow chilled air to escape. This forces the air conditioner to work harder to restore the equilibrium, in turn, wasting a lot of energy.
Extreme Thermostat Settings and Adjustments
Whether you’re in the middle of summer or the dead of winter, as soon as you walk inside the home, the first thing you likely do is reset the temperature on the thermostat. It’s almost as if the simple action automatically increases our comfort level.
But the truth is, forcing the HVAC system to dramatically raise or lower the indoor temperature within a short time period uses a greater amount of energy than simply maintaining a stable indoor temperature.
One of the best ways to improve energy efficiency is by installing a programmable thermostat. This means that you won’t need to keep adjusting it every few hours. Thermostats function at peak performance when they are not adjusted regularly. In other words, set it and forget it. Continual adjustments put a lot of stress on your HVAC system as it will turn on and off more than if it were programmed and left to maintain equilibrium. This will affect its long-term efficiency and cause the unit to use more energy.
Programming your thermostat helps to keep your home comfortable without any unnecessary adjustments.
Ignoring Signs of Issues and Not Calling a Professional
The HVAC system can give off a variety of signals hinting at a potential malfunction that needs to be addressed. Ignoring these signs can force the system to work at suboptimal levels and consume more energy than usual. Do yourself a favor and schedule a professional repair as soon as you notice something off.
You may think that you’re saving costs by trying to DIY, but you may create a more significant problem that will increase your energy consumption and cost you a fortune to repair. If you haven’t been trained, you may end up causing more harm than good. Whether it is replacing your filters, performing regular maintenance, or repairing refrigerant leaks, you should leave it to professional HVAC technicians.
Call Hamilton for a thorough HVAC system inspection, repairs, and replacement.
When to Call an Expert
We’ve grown accustomed to living in comfort and controlling our home environment. If we feel cold, we turn up the heater. If it gets too hot, we blast the AC. This attitude may have led to the formation of bad habits that are driving up monthly utility bills.
Never do anything that will void the warranty on your equipment. Call an expert to properly take care of your HVAC service needs the first time.
Read more about energy-efficient heating tips for your home.