Does it look like your energy bills are too high? Or maybe they suddenly increased to a new, painful amount, and you can’t figure out why. This is a sign that something important is happening with the way that your house uses power, and you need to discover what it is! Here are some of the most common causes.
You Didn’t Adjust for the New Season
Temperatures can change a lot between seasons, and your heating/cooling system needs to change with it. If you aren’t adjusting your thermostat schedule between winter and summer, then your HVAC system won’t be able to keep up, and you’ll experience a sudden increase in energy bills when the weather changes.
Fortunately, this is a relatively easy problem to fix, as you can simply adjust heating and cooling settings to match the new season to save on your bills. This is especially important for air conditioners and heat pumps, which rely in part on outside temperatures to do their jobs.
Your Power Regulations or Measurement Recently Changed
This particular issue when something significant changes on your power grid. Prices may have shifted or you may have switched to a different energy provider that uses adjustable rates. Sometimes even the methods that energy providers use to measure your electricity can change and lead to sudden spikes.
There isn’t much you can do about this particular situation. Generally speaking, newer, private energy companies have a better chance of suddenly raising your rates. Be very careful when switching to another provider, and understand the long-term effects for any deal you sign up on.
Something’s Wrong With Your HVAC System
Your HVAC system consumes a large share of power in your house. When something goes wrong, it tends to affect your energy bills in big ways. Also, the problems that can cause higher bills are often subtle, difficult to notice over time except through your monthly expenses. A broken fan, clogged filter, or ductwork damage can slow down airflow throughout your house and make your system work much harder and longer to get things working again, which of course, costs money. Other problems, like low refrigerant levels, can do the same thing. It’s important to keep your filters replaced and make sure that regular maintenance is performed on your HVAC system.
You Just Made a Significant Renovation
Some types of renovations can also have a big effect on your bills. For example, if you just renovated an attic or basement to be an additional room for your home, you may have hooked it up to your existing ductwork. However, that’s a large new space that your HVAC system has to work to heat and cool, and your system may not be rated for it or may need to work extra hard to handle it. That makes it difficult to save money.
Your House Lacks Key Insulation
If your energy bills have always been high compared to what you would have expected, then it may be time to check your insulation. If your house is missing important insulation layers, that can make a lot of difference in how efficient your home is.
Do you have any further questions about how efficient your home is, or do you need an inspection to help you figure out what’s going on? Contact Action Heating and Air, Inc. today! We’re glad to help.