Is My Heating and Air System the Reason for Rising Energy Bills?

When the utility bill climbs, the heating and cooling system is the first place to look. It is usually the largest energy user in the house, commonly estimated at 40 to 50 percent of utility costs. The cause might be a ten-minute fix, or it might be a sign that your equipment is wearing out. Here is how to sort one from the other.

Start with the cheap, fast explanations

A clogged air filter is the most common and the easiest to fix. When dust and debris restrict airflow, the blower and the rest of the system have to work harder to move the same amount of air, which can waste up to 15 percent more energy. Check your filter monthly during heavy use and replace it when it looks gray and matted. A system that is starving for air also tends to break down sooner.

Next, look at the thermostat. Heating and cooling an empty house is a quiet way to spend money. A programmable or smart thermostat lets you shift the setting by 7 to 10 degrees while you are away or asleep, which can save up to about 10 percent without hurting comfort. For reference, many people aim for 78 degrees in summer and 68 in winter as an efficient target.

Vents and registers count too. Furniture pushed against a return grille, a closed register in a seldom-used room and a rug over a floor vent all change how air moves through the system. Closing off rooms does not usually save money, because the system was designed to move a certain volume of air, and restricting it adds pressure and strain. Open the vents, give the return air a clear path and see whether the house evens out.

Then check the ducts and the maintenance history

Leaky ductwork is a big hidden cost. When conditioned air escapes into an attic or crawlspace, your system keeps running to make up the loss, and leakage can reduce overall efficiency by 20 to 30 percent. The symptoms are uneven rooms, a dusty house and bills that look too high for the weather. Sealing and insulating ducts is one of the most cost-effective improvements you can make.

Maintenance matters too. Low refrigerant, dirty coils and worn parts all push up energy use and shorten equipment life. The best habit is a service visit in spring for the cooling side and in fall for the heating side, before the extreme weather arrives. If you cannot remember the last time a technician looked at your system, that gap may be part of the answer.

When the equipment itself is the problem

• Heat pumps around 10 to 15 years old, and furnaces around 15 to 20, are in the range where efficiency has usually slipped
• Repair bills that approach half the cost of replacement are a signal to price a new system
• Low efficiency ratings drive up operating costs month after month: SEER for air conditioners and AFUE for furnaces
• Rooms that are never comfortable may mean the system is worn, mismatched or poorly sized

Efficiency ratings are worth understanding. SEER measures cooling efficiency and AFUE measures how much of a furnace's fuel becomes heat. The higher the number, the less energy the equipment needs to deliver the same comfort. Today's high-efficiency systems can use 20 to 40 percent less energy than older models, so if you are comparing a bargain unit against a better one, include the ongoing energy cost, not just the price tag.

A simple order of operations

Work through it in this order: replace the filter, review the thermostat settings, look at the vents and registers for blockages, and think about when the system was last serviced. If the bill is still high after that, the next steps are a professional inspection that checks airflow, refrigerant, coils, ducts and combustion, and an honest conversation about whether repair or replacement makes sense.

ACT Heat & Air can do that inspection for homes and businesses in Yakima, Union Gap, Ellensburg, Prosser, Kennewick, Richland, Pasco and the surrounding area. Call (509) 388-2997 to schedule it. If replacement does turn out to be the right move, ask us about current Pacific Power and Cascade Natural Gas rebates and the financing options we offer.