3 Ways You Can Reduce Energy Costs At Home While Away On Vacation

3 Ways You Can Reduce Energy Costs At Home While Away On VacationIf you’re planning a trip this summer, consider these tips to reduce energy costs. You’ll save money and leave your home with greater confidence. Besides unplugging the electronics before you leave and turning down the water heater, make sure you tend to your A/C or heat pump before you go.

  • Clean or replace your cooling equipment’s air filter. If you’re running your A/C with a dirty filter, it’s going to take more electricity because the blower has to work harder to pull the air through the system. A dirty filter is also one of the primary causes of premature breakdowns and wear and tear on HVAC equipment.
  • Have your HVAC equipment cleaned and maintained by a professional before you leave, if you haven’t already this spring. During the inspection, the technician will clean, check and service the entire system. He’ll inspect (and clean if necessary) the evaporator coil, which is especially important if you’ve run your air conditioner with a dirty filter for any length of time. When dust builds on the evaporator coil, it slows the the air flow over the evaporator coil which can lead to a complete system failure due to a frozen coil.
  • Set your thermostat to run between 78 and 82 degrees to reduce energy costs, unless you’re leaving plants or pets behind that require cooler temperatures. If you have a programmable model, have the thermostat set to turn on an hour before you expect to come home to cool your house. Each degree you turn up the thermostat saves between 2 and 3 percent on your electric bill.

If you have a vacation coming up and haven’t had your air conditioner serviced for the summer, or would like more information about programmable thermostats, contact Overland Park Heating and Cooling. We’ve provided quality HVAC services for the Greater Kansas City area since 1983.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

Overland Park Heating & Cooling services Overland Park and surrounding areas in Kansas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!