Why Are My Utility Bills So High?
If you have to be sitting down before opening your utility bills, you know something’s gotta give. Consistently rising electric bills is a clue that something may be out of whack with one or more of your home’s operating systems. For us here in Hudson, Florida (and across Tampa), one of the largest contributors to high household energy bills is our cooling system.
How Does My AC Contribute to Expensive Utility Bills?
There are several factors that contribute to rising electric bills – your HVAC system is a big one. So too are the costs to operate other appliances and electronics in your home. Keeping all of these systems clean and maintained is step one in lowering your bills. For AC units in particular, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Dirty AC filter – Changing your air filter regularly is the number one thing you can do to lower your utility bills. Dirty filters require your HVAC system to work harder, and when it has to work harder, it costs you more money.
- Leaking refrigerant – Low or leaking refrigerant can cause the evaporator coils on your AC unit to freeze up. When your unit is low on refrigerant, the pressure also lowers inside your AC system and can cause problems like poor efficiency, your unit blowing warmer rather than cool air, higher bills, and a massive block of ice hanging on your evaporator coils.
- Gunked up coils – Dirty condenser coils could prevent your unit from releasing heat energy effectively, which could cause it to break down due to overheating.
- Leaks and gunks of any kind – The main takeaway is that if your AC is leaking, dirty or otherwise ill-maintained, taking action to correct these issues can do wonders for your utility bill. You might even be able to stand up when you open them again.
If you’re concerned about the rising cost of energy bills in your Palm Harbor home, call our trusted Tampa HVAC team at Mario’s Air Conditioning & Heating today.
