What is the Biggest Contributor to Rising Energy Bill?
Heating Costs,Believe or not, consistent use of your HVAC system is not the biggest contributor to your rising energy bill. Sure, use does impact your monthly bill, but it is by far not the biggest contributor to your rising costs. The real threat to your wallet is a lack of proper care and maintenance. With every passing year of use, your system needs preventative maintenance to ensure that it works properly and efficiently. Without that maintenance, you could end up costing yourself plenty of money for repairs, or even worse, replacement.
The Comprehensive Maintenance Check
The first essential part of ensuring the longevity of your heating system is to change out your filter monthly and it can be done by you, the homeowner. This is particularly relevant for anyone who may be using a furnace to heat their home. For any other maintenance work, you will definitely need to enlist the help of a trained professional. Once you have contacted a repair specialist, they will perform the remainder of the maintenance check. Specifically, they will check out thermostat settings and controls, electrical connections for any loosening, and lubricate any parts. Last but certainly not least, the maintenance professional will check for potential fire hazards, such as improper operating gas or oil connections and/or dirty burners. You should call on a professional at least once a year for this routine work.
Post Maintenance Check
Throughout the year, there are many steps you can take yourself to avoid rising costs. Consider purchasing an energy-efficient heater, if you haven’t already done so. Research shows you could potentially save yourself about 20 percent on your monthly bill with a more efficient system.
Another way to avoid a high energy bill is to regularly regulate the settings on your home thermostat. According to the Department of Energy, the best way to maintain your temperature setting is to use a programmable thermostat on a pre-set schedule. This minimizes fluctuations, and most importantly, keeps your heating costs from rising.
However, if you don’t have a programmable thermostat, you can manually adjust the temperature setting to the recommended 68 degrees during the day and 55 degrees at night or for long periods away from home. The adjustment may take a little getting used to, but you can always throw on a pullover sweater to keep warm so that you can avoid a high bill. Also, keep in mind that any degree adjustments within the 60 to 70-degree range can yield an additional 5 percent saving in heating costs.
For all of your repair needs, contact a professional near you.