10 Real Reasons Your Energy Bill Is So High

With increasingly rising temperatures, the demand for energy, especially air conditioning, is higher (and more expensive) than ever. To save money on your next energy bill, follow Warner Service’s air conditioning tips:

Your home has poor insulation. This is the biggest energy suck, and it’s the most dangerous to your energy bill because you can’t see where air leaks are coming from, including cracks in the foundation, tiling, and wall corners.
To prevent this, get an energy audit. A professional will search for energy wasters around your home and give advice on immediate solutions and preventative HVAC maintenance.
Your home has faulty ductwork. Based on Ductwork Design 101, your air ducts should be sealed and well designed at installation. However, if they’re not, it could cost you an increase on your utility bill.
Seal your home’s ducts to improve energy efficiency, protect indoor air quality, solve uneven cooling, prevent “backdrafting”, and more.
Your home is operating an inefficient unit. Warner Service has covered many ways that your air conditioner costs you, including basic inefficiencies, leaks, and old age.
To prevent this, schedule a maintenance visit with each change in season, especially if you live in a climate where seasons are less gradual and harsher.
You’re not using “energy-saving mode”. When you’re not at home, use the energy saver option rather than turning your unit off. This keeps your home cool while you’re away, and it means less work for the unit because it doesn’t have to turn back on to cool your home again.
You leave doors open. It’s important to understand that heat rises. If you have a first-floor A/C unit, shut the second-floor doors and windows, so your air conditioner has less space to cool.
Your unit’s not set at 78 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the sweet spot for an air conditioning unit to optimally run. However, you should keep the A/C lower at night.
During this time, your home doesn't require the same level of cooling, so turn your unit down or utilize “sleep mode” (which lowers the output on a timer) when you’re sleeping.
Your furniture is in the way. The ideal location for a central air conditioning unit is on the north side of your home. Though that’s not always possible, you can move your furniture. Chairs and couches that obstruct vents means you’re not cooling anything but that spot.
Buy plastic pieces for your vents to force air in the right direction, but the easiest way is to just rearrange your furniture -- even if only temporarily.
You forgot the fan. Your home relies so much on air conditioners to keep things cool, but having supplemental fans doesn't hurt. Using them helps circulate the cool air, using less energy than your unit.
You don’t close the curtains. When no one’s in a room during the day, keep the curtains closed. This is especially true for homes with windows facing east and west. Keeping direct sunlight away reduces the amount of work your air conditioner has.
To maximize cooling, open the drapes, blinds, or curtains in the evening to allow heat to escape through the windows.
You do every chore during the daytime. It’s known that cooking counteracts a unit’s efforts, but did you know that so does using a clothes dryer and dishwasher? Save your chores for when the sun goes down to get the most out of your air conditioner.

If you’d like to keep your energy bill to a minimum, follow these tried-and-true few tricks from our experts. To take it one step further (and a few dollars cheaper), download our HVAC Maintenance Checklist:

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10 Real Reasons Your Energy Bill Is So High