Save Money and Energy with These Bay Area HVAC Tips
It’s getting hot here in the Bay Area. If you’ve been cranking your AC, you might be concerned about your monthly energy bill. Even if you are not normally “energy conscious” most of the year, the brutal days of summer can highlight your HVAC problems. Here are some smart (but not necessarily intuitive) strategies for reducing air conditioning costs.
1. First of all, don’t be so quick to diss fans.
As you probably remember from physics class, hot air rises. This means that if you have multiple stories in your home, your higher floors (particularly the attic) are going get pretty hot. Use fans to blow out that excess heat, and give your air conditioning some time off. On really hot days, you may even use both to circulate the cool air.
2. Clean out your vents.
First of all, dirty vents are not just unpleasant to look at (and contemplate), but they can also degrade the efficiency of your AC and also create allergy related problems, particularly for kids who are sensitive to dust and pollen.
3. Consider getting a new air conditioning unit.
When was the last time you changed your AC? Was it 5 years ago? 10 years? Newer models tend to be more energy efficient – which not only helps the environment but also help you save money on bills, since you won’t burn through as much power to keep your home cool.
4. Invest in a programmable thermostat.
Amazingly, some studies suggest that the simple act of tracking your energy consumption can help you intuitively moderate your use of the heat and AC and actually consume less energy. You can also avoid overcooling certain rooms or using the AC when it’s unnecessary.
5. Use tested processes and good people to make subtle adjustments to your energy uses.
Contact the HVAC Pros at B.A. Morrison Today
Air conditioning maintenance is not something you should do just once over the summer – you really want a process to handle it, and the right people to run that process. Turn to the team at BA Morrison for efficient property maintenance help. Give us a call us today at 510-538-9817 for a consultation.
