Residential marketing representatives visit hundreds of homes each year conducting walk-throughs, energy audits or answering questions over the phone or via email.

Many of these questions lead to decisions that save money, decrease electric bills and improve comfort. Representatives discovered several major problems this past year; however, there are those rare instances when the homeowner could have detected the problem and quickly corrected it — if they had the right information. Here are a few examples of some of the more frequent problems that could easily be solved.

 

Your Bill May Be High If...

 
1. You don't change the filter in your HVAC system.

Dirty or clogged air filters restrict airflow and cause your system to work harder, which increases costs. Clean and/or replace air filters every one or two months.

 

 

2. You don't get your HVAC system serviced regularly.

Call a trained heating and air conditioning professional for a routine performance check each year.

  

3. You operate your HVAC system (or other equipment) when you know it needs repairing.

A heating and cooling system in need of repair can use much more energy than it's designed to consume.

 

4. Your thermostat to your HVAC system is not functioning properly.

If the thermostat is not operating properly it can cause the heating or cooling cycles to run longer, requiring more energy than necessary.

  

5. You try to use your fireplace to heat your home while running your central heating system.

The fireplace will intake air already heated by your heating system. The heated air is pulled straight up the chimney.

 

6. You leave the fireplace damper open in the heating or cooling season when you don't have a fire in the fireplace.

Air already heated or cooled by your HVAC system will be lost up the chimney and outside of your home.

 

7. You have faucets that drip hot water.

Little drips add up. A hot water faucet that drips once per second will waste 2,300 gallons of water per year plus the energy used to heat it.

  

8. You forgot you added new equipment around your home.

 

• Swimming pool
• Hot tub
• Additional refrigerators or freezers
• Home workshop
• Home office

 

 

All of these upgrades add appliances that use energy in the home.

  

9. You forgot you plugged in your RV outside and let it run for several days.

Believe it or not, sometimes we forget about the out-of-the-ordinary things we do that can cause our energy bills to increase.

  

10. You have several families living in your home.

Whether it's children or grandchildren, the extra family members can heavily impact a home's energy bill. This will increase the household energy consumption of your family causing lighting, small appliance and even air conditioning costs to increase. In many cases, the length of time the family is at home using energy is extended, resulting in higher energy bills.

 

11. The weather was very hot or very cold outside, causing the HVAC system to use more energy to air condition your home.

Extreme outdoor temperatures often cause energy bill increases. Heating and cooling are the top two energy users in most energy bills.

 

12. You lack adequate ceiling insulation or you have spots without any insulation.

Over the years attic insulation can settle, causing performance to decrease. Also insulation may fall away from knee walls located in attic spaces. Since attic temperatures soar in the summer, this can cause your air conditioning system to work harder to cool your indoor air to a comfortable level.

 
13. You keep your thermostat temperature lower than 78 degrees in the summer or higher than 68 in the winter.

It costs 3-5% more for every degree lower than 78 or higher than 68. Setting your thermostat at 75 adds 15% more to the cost of operating that system.

 

14. You really don't have a high bill, but you are unaware of how much energy different appliances use.

With all of the details filling our busy lives, who can remember what appliances use the most energy in the home? Jackson EMC has quick energy usage reference guides available for you. One good tip to remember is to concentrate your conservation efforts on the three biggest energy users in your home — cooling, heating and water heating.

 

 

 

 

 

For a little help determining how your home's energy bills stack up, visit our online Home Analyzer. If you'd like the Quick Energy Usage Reference Guide or a Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audit kit, please email your request to info@jacksonemc.com or contact your local district office.