If you find yourself staring at a ridiculous utility bill this month, you are not alone. The rising utility costs for the greater Los Angeles area can give a beating to your household budget, but they don’t have to.
Tune your HVAC unit — Your home’s mechanical systems rely on routine maintenance to stay efficient – without it they can drain your bank account quickly and consume excess energy. Contact a certified HVAC technician for a heating/cooling tune-up to make sure your mechanical systems are not working harder than they need to.
Program your thermostat — Program your thermostat two to three degrees lower while you are away and a few degrees more at night and you will see a change in your utility bills.
Check the water heater — Your water heater’s temperature does impact your energy consumption. Most households can get away with 120-degrees Fahrenheit and at that temperature you can stop consuming excess energy.
Unplug unused electronics — Though your electronic equipment is “off,” it still draws power from the wall. Unplug equipment from the wall and you will notice lighter utility bills soon enough.
Switch to cold water — When you switch to cold water for your laundry, all you use is the power it takes to run the washing machine – which is dramatically less than what it takes to heat the water for warm and hot cycles.
Consider your appliances — Replace appliances that are 10-15 years old with Energy Star models. These consume less energy and perform better than your out-dated appliances.
Swap out the bulbs — Compact fluorescents use less energy and produce better quality light and less heat. Replace your current bulbs with CFL bulbs to reduce the amount of energy consumed and lower your utility bills.
For expert advice on reducing your home’s utility bills and fine tuning your home’s energy consumption, contact one of our experts at Around the Clock Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc. We have been offering customers just like you expert service in the Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley since 1967. Contact us today and save for tomorrow.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Los Angeles, North Hollywood and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about lowering your utility bills and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock