How Your Air Conditioner Impacts Your Energy Bills

Here at Compass Heating & Air, we’re often asked about what customers can do to keep their HVAC systems operating well and how they can save money on their energy bills.  These conversations come up more frequently in the summer, when just about everyone sees their energy bills spike when the AC comes on. So how does your air conditioner impact your energy bill, and what can you do to try to keep those bills from getting out of control and putting a real bite in your home budget?

We have been installing and servicing air conditioners in the area for years, and have a pretty extensive experieince with these systems. We’ve seen some AC systems that last for years and operate smoothly with low energy bills. We’ve also seen some air conditioners that are poorly taken care of, run the energy bills up, and die early. In this article I’m going to go over a little more about why your air conditioner affects your energy bills, and what you can do to prevent them from getting too expensive. 

If you’d like to speak to someone now about your air conditioner, give us a call at (630) 504-8688, or contact us online. One of our air conditioning specialists can take a look at your system and let you know how to make the space comfortable while saving energy! 

What to know about your AC and your Energy Bills:

1. Air Conditioning is energy-intensive. This is probably not a big surprise- just like your refrigerator, air conditioners use a lot of electricity to run their fans, condensers and other components. That said, some air conditioning systems, like Daikin VRV and other heat pump systems are much more efficient than window air conditioners, and can save you about 30% on your air conditioning costs.

2. Continuous operation: Depending on the weather and where you’ve set your thermostat, your energy-intensive air conditioning could be running for a long period of time,especially during a heat wave, and this can really spike your energy bills.

3. Insulation matters! Whether you have central AC, a heat pump, or a window air conditioner, the insulation in your home and around your window air conditioner units make your system work harder to keep up with your comfort level.

4. Humidity matters too. One of the things that matters a lot to how comfortable you are in your home is the humidity levels. AC helps reduce the humidity and keeps you from feeling sticky. Your AC tends to work extra hard to reduce humidity along with the temperature in your home, and uses extra energy.

5. Frequent on-off cycling- If you are constantly adjusting your thermostat, or your AC is cycling on and off on its own all the time, this is much less efficient than choosing a temperature and maintaining it steady over time. Rapid cycling may also indicate your HVAC system isn’t properly sized for your home and is having a hrd time keeping up, and this can lead to premature wear and tear on your system, higher repair bills alongside higher energy bills.

Tips To Reduce AC Energy Use While Staying Comfortable:

1. Set the thermostat at a higher temperature. The Department of Energy recommends that 78 degrees is a good temperature to balance comfort and energy savings.While that can be too warm for some people, you should know for every degree above 72o you set your thermostat can save you 3% off your energy bills
2. Use fans: Portable fans and ceiling fans can help distribute air evenly throughout a room and help you feel cooler, even when the thermostat is set at a higher temperature..
3. Change Your Filter: Changing the filter on your HVAC system regularly, and making sure you don;t have any blocked vents will help your system work more efficiently and will also help increase your indoor air quality!
4. Regular maintenance: Here at Compass we recommend having your system serviced twice a year– once to check your AC in the Spring and a second time in the Fall to check your heater.  This preventative maintenance is like getting the oil changed in your car- it makes sure your system is working well, looks for any parts showing wear, and helps stay on top of any issues to avoid breakdowns when the system is under stress when it starts working overtime
5. Upgrade your efficiency: If your system is 10-15 years old and your energy bills keep increasing, it’s possible your system is getting towards the end of its lifespan.  Newer systems are much more efficient, like the Daikin VRV life systems-high-efficiency heat pump systems that can really reduce the energy usage at your home. These new high-efficiency systems also qualify for tax credits under the Inflation reduction Act, so you can save serious money when upgrading your efficiency and lower your monthly bills as well.
6. Use a programmable thermostat: There are many brands of programmable and smart thermostats available, that can even learn when you are home and not, and adjust the comfort level accordingly to help you save energy.  Many can also be controlled easily in a smart phone app, allowing you to adjust the comfort level- and savings- even when you are away from home.
7. Shades and Window Coverings- Keeping your shades down in the summer can help your home from absorbing heat like a greenhouse- and reduce how hard your AC has to work to keep you comfortable.

Need Help? Worried about your Bills?  Give us  Call!

If you are worried that your AC bills are getting out of hand, give us a call here at Compass. Our experts will be happy to come out and inspect your system and help make suggestions to bring your energy bills under control.  We know what it’s like to work hard, and everyone would rather spend that hard earned money on something fun, rather than your electric bill. Simple steps can help keep your bills more manageable, and if it’s time to replace your system, we can work with you to choose a system that will meet your budget and help you get smaller bills every month through increased efficiency.  Give us a call today!