Never choose between comfort and cost again—we’d love to show you how to reduce your unit’s energy costs!
Typically, when you turn on your air conditioner, your biggest concern is cooling your home. During the occasional heat wave, your motivation might be to maintain the health and safety of your family. And then the bill comes.
If you’re wondering, “Why is my AC bill so high?” Complete Comfort Control’s guide below breaks it down. With five-star reviews from the homes and businesses they serve, this team provides trusted AC repairs in The Hamptons, NY, and the surrounding areas.
Read on for how to ensure your comfort levels while maintaining a reasonable monthly bill.
Dirty Filters Are the First Stop for Efficiency Concerns
Your air conditioner pulls air through the unit’s filters before releasing the cooled air through the filters or air ducts. These meshy surfaces trap dust, dirt, dander, and other airborne particles. That way, the particles won’t reenter your breathing air or coat your unit’s internal components.
Inevitably, if you don’t change or clean the filters seasonally, this buildup blocks optimal airflow. The less air that enters your unit, the longer and harder your system has to function to produce cool air and mirror your thermostat setting. If you don’t want the unit to pull more energy from your utility grid and up your costs, keeping the filters clean helps.
Contaminant Buildup Takes Efficiency Issues a Step Further
Besides air flow issues, dirty filters also cause contaminants to accumulate to the point where particles detach and float into the unit. These particles stick between moving parts like the fan or motor, which slows down the cooling process. They also create a layer over the coils, which affects the heat transfer process.
Particles landing where they shouldn’t inside the air conditioner will make the system burn more energy to function. These tasks may help:
- Wipe down vents
- Change the filters every 1 to 3 months
- Schedule a professional to clean your unit semi-annually
Your Unit’s Thermostat Is the Brains of the Operation
Your per-unit air conditioning usage increases if the cooling process isn’t handling temperature control well. Your thermostat should read the current indoor temperature and know when it’s too high so that it can signal to your cooling unit to power on. It should then tell the unit to shut off when your thermostat setting and indoor temperature match.
If it’s short-cycling or working harder and longer to maintain these levels (or never reaching them), you’re bound to see it on the energy bill.
Monthly Energy Costs Also Spike With Air Leaks
Why is my AC bill so high this month? If you have central heating and cooling, check for a duct leak. HVAC efficiency in central systems depends on these metal sheets to carry cooled air to different parts of your house. If the ducts behind walls, floors, and ceilings are leaking, that cool air isn’t reaching the rooms it needs to go to and the thermostat will keep on trying to remedy the issue.
Cracks, split seams, or holes in the chutes cause air to seep out before reaching the designated room. Lower energy efficiency here causes higher energy consumption, higher bills, and poor indoor comfort!
Other issues to look for include the following:
- Unsealed or opened doors and windows
- Cracks or holes in your home’s exterior or roof
- Poorly installed ductwork
- Long or inefficient duct placements
Energy Inefficiencies Spike at the End of the Unit’s Lifespan
Call your local HVAC team in spring to prepare your unit for use. Call them again in the fall to remedy any wear after the peak cooling season. These semi-annual maintenance checks will clean, tighten, and lubricate parts to ensure you aren’t paying higher bills for subpar cooling.
However, your unit’s cooling costs increase drastically around the 10-year mark in its 15-year lifespan. At that point, an energy-efficient replacement becomes necessary to ensure that all the unit’s internal components work effortlessly once more.
Never Sacrifice Complete Comfort!
The last thing you should be thinking about on a 90-degree day is tolerating the temperature inside your home or business. If you need help with heating, cooling, mini-split units, or air quality, you can have complete control over your indoor comfort by hiring an experienced HVAC professional.
Why is my AC bill so high? Complete Comfort Control can ensure all the parts of an AC unit work optimally so that you don’t have to ask this question. Lower your utility bills—call 631-910-6702 today for a free consultation in The Hamptons, NY!