Cutting Heating and Air Costs

Keeping your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer is important. You need to be comfortable year round. There are lots of things you need to consider to keep your heating and air system working properly. There are many questions that you might have about what works best and how to keep your system well maintained. One of the biggest questions is how to control the costs.

If you're trying to keep your heating and air bills from being out of control, the first thing you need to do is use the thermostat. Set it and then walk away. If you keep your home at a steady temperature then the system won't have to work as hard. If it is not working all the time then your bills will be fairly consistent. By going and adjusting the temperature you'll cause your system to be on more frequently and that means you'll end up spending more on your utility bills.

Another way to keep your heating and air bills from being out of control is to change the filter at least every three months. When your air filter gets too dirty it makes it difficult for air to circulate. That means that your unit will work harder. That means that your bills will be higher and that your unit can possibly wear out sooner than you'd expect it. Air filters are relatively cheap and are simple to change. There is no reason to not do this simple maintenance at least once every three months. If you have pets or live in an area with a lot of dust you might consider changing the filter more often.

Regular maintenance can keep your heating and air costs down as well. A well maintained machine will cost less to operate. You want to make sure you have your unit inspected by a licensed HVAC service person at least once a season. Prior to putting the furnace or AC unit into use, have it inspected and cleaned. By doing this you can catch problem areas before they break. By cleaning it, the unit won't have to work as hard which will reflect in your utility bills being lower. You might also want to consider having your duct work inspected and cleaned at this time as well. Even though it's the unit that does all the work, the duct work is what helps transport the warm or cool to your home. You could inadvertently be making the unit work harder when all you needed to do is clean out the ducts.

It can get expensive to keep your house warm in the winter or cool in the summer. By setting the thermostat to a set temperature and letting it be, cleaning and inspecting the unit and duct work, and keeping a clean filter in the unit you can lower your utility bills.