Energy savings are important to us, both to save money and to conserve our resources. But there are a lot of myths that need to be dispelled in order to really promote energy savings:
- Leave the vents open. You might think that closing off unused rooms would promote energy savings, but closing vents makes the entire system work harder and less efficiently, costing more money, not saving it.
- You don’t have to leave the grid to use solar panels. Most homes with solar panels produce power during the day that feeds into the grid system that balances out night time electricity use.
- New homes are not necessarily more efficient than older homes. Design features determine efficiency, not age. Older homes can be modified to greater efficiency.
- Dual pane windows will not necessarily save you money. It is true that they will save energy, but at a fraction of your total energy use, the cost of the windows may be much greater than your savings.
- Setting your thermostat higher will not cool your home faster. Since your A/C runs at its maximum power when first turned on, a higher setting on the thermostat only forces the system to run longer than necessary, costing more money. (The same is true for heating.)
- Leaving lights and computers on does not save money. There is no additional power drain as lights and appliances are turned off and on again, so turn them off when they are not in use.
At Around the Clock Heating and Air Conditioning, we pride ourselves on providing education to the community and ensuring that our customers are aware of their energy savings options. For more information about how you can modify your home for greater energy savings, contact us to schedule a free in-home visit to evaluate your needs. We’ve been serving the air conditioning and heating needs of home owners and businesses in Los Angeles and the surrounding area for 45 years.
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 energy savings and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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