Top Ten Reasons for High Electric Bills from Your Air Conditioner

1. Dirty Air Filters

Dirty air filters can impact your system’s ability to cool down your home or office by restricting air flow and the required number of air changes to effectively cool your home. Air filters should be changed every 30-45 days on average depending on amount of traffic and indoor air quality.

2. Low Refrigerant Level

Low refrigerant charge will negatively affect the temperature drop of the air coming out of the vents and recycling into the air return. There will be less cooling and less dehydrating of the air, this will make your home or business feel slightly cool but damp, and mold can grow in the space causing even more problems than an electric bill.

3. Ventilation Ducts

Ventilation ducts in the attic may not be properly sealed or broken allowing conditioned air to leak. Metal ducts sometimes leak around the connections and the insulation can fall out over several years leaving them exposed to heat or cold without any insulating value.

4. Debris on Condenser Coils

With your condenser being outdoor in the elements it may collect dirt, leaves, and debris on the coil; blocking air from passing through it. When the coils are blocked the heat being removed from your home or office is restricted and forces your ac system to work harder to cool.

5. Dirty Evaporator Coil (indoor coil)

Your indoor evaporator coil can become dirty from an indoor environment with a high amount of dust and dander, especially without the air filter be changed on time. When this happens the air that passes through the coil is restricted and sometimes so bad that it may freeze over the coil.

6. Poor Attic Insulation

It is recommended to have an R-40 or better insulating value in your attic. The entire attic area must have good even coverage to prevent the attic heat from penetrating your indoor space.

7. Windows

Many times, old windows leak because they are usually single pane with dried out silicone allowing conditioned air to leak. Windows that face East, and or West should have some sort of sunscreen to keep direct sunlight from coming inside and heating up the area. We recommend blinds, and removable or roll up shades as the opposite is true in winter when you might want the radiant heat of sunlight coming in thru those windows

8. Humidity

In the south part of Texas, the humidity levels are higher than most other environments. Air conditioners must dehumidify the air before cooling may begin. If windows and doors are left open allowing a lot of humid outdoor air in the system will have to work much harder.

9. Old AC Unit

If your AC system is 10 to 14-years-old, it is most likely rated at around 9 or 10 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating.) When coupled with age, wear and tear, poor coils, worn out compressors, electrical motors and other components they would very likely be rated way lower than their SEER when they were produced. Today the industry standard is 16 SEER, which is in most cases 50% more efficient than your old 2006 or older model. Usually the savings from installing a new High Efficiency System is enough to pay for that new system in a few summers.

10. Thermostat

When you have a good working thermostat, it is still possibly the most common reason for your high electric bills. A lot of time people in a home or office do not agree on the temperature level so it gets changed many time throughout the day. A thermostat that is kept at a steady reasonable temperature; 73-75 degrees, will help maintain the lowest light bill possible.