As seasons come and go, you keep your home within a fairly consistent internal temperature range (65˚ to 75˚ F). That means, during peak conditions, your heating and cooling systems have to work harder due to the temperature gap between the exterior and interior of your home–and it shows up on your bill.
Summer vs. Winter. Who’s the Bigger Culprit? It’s All About the Temperature Gap.
Look at it this way. You have your home’s thermostat set at 70˚. In summer, when the exterior temperature reaches 100˚ F, you have a 30˚ gap between inside and outside temperatures. This gap becomes smaller at night when temperatures come back down, so your AC unit doesn’t have to work as hard to overcome the difference. Winter is a different story. The same thermostat setting of 70˚ F may have a daytime gap of about 20˚ if the outside temperature is in the 50s. But when the sun sets, temperatures drop and the gap increases. And if temperatures dip into the 20s, your heating system is working against a 50˚ difference. That temperature gap would be equivalent to a 120˚ F summer day. Plus the nights are longer, so you are inside using more interior lighting. And the energy usage list keeps growing. Even in Texas, it takes a lot of energy to overcome those winter nights.
Wasting energy due to a home’s inefficiency is a common reason for an electric bill to be higher than expected. This is a factor over which we have more control. Being aware of them is the first step.
Thermal integrity (Building Envelope)
New building codes and building materials make modern homes more efficient. However, the older your home is the more likely its thermal integrity is very low and costing you money. You might find you have air leaks, insufficient amounts of insulation, or other problems. Windows are another area that may cause a home to be inefficient, but be aware that the replacement costs are sometimes greater than the energy savings they provide.
Heating & Cooling Systems
If you have an older home with poor thermal integrity and an older, inefficient HVAC system, you have a double whammy. Electric Resistance Heaters and AC units are the biggest users of energy in any home, hands down, and become increasingly less efficient as they get older. Replacing your HVAC system will be the biggest single action you can take to impact your seasonal variable energy use.
Also don’t forget your HVAC’s ducting. Too many bends, improper sizing, or leaks will make your system work harder.
Appliances
As part of a complete efficiency update, consider that older and redundant appliances can waste a lot of electricity, especially in unconditioned spaces. For instance: How much is that extra fridge toiling in the hot garage costing you?
Sometimes it’s hard for a co-op member to realize or accept that their high bill might have something to do with their own habits. Yet knowing what you’re doing wrong is the first step toward changing
Thermostat Set Too High or Too Low
It costs a lot to indulge in 75˚ F indoors in January—and in August, 65˚ F is an expensive proposition, too.
Most people tend to leave their thermostat set to the same settings when they are gone. That may be okay for a quick errand, but if you are going to be gone for long periods or all day, cut back on heating or cooling by 3 to 5 degrees.
Water Temperature Too High
Do you know the temperature setting of your water heater right now? It might be hotter than you want or need. Older electric units take more energy to heat and maintain.
Refrigerator/Freezer Temperature Too Low
If you’ve never checked the setting on your fridge or freezer, now is a good time to see whether it might be wasting money.
Washing & Drying Clothes
Thoughtless habits can get expensive in the laundry room. Most clothes can be washed in cold water. Make sure you are using full loads. Smaller more frequent loads cost you.
Leaving Lights On
A lot of us wander into and out of rooms without giving a thought to the lights we leave on. It all adds up. It’s also one of the easiest factors to control through habits and LED bulbs.
Electronics
Many electronic devices are designed to stay in standby mode—using electricity even when they’re switched off. Unplug them when not being used for long periods of time.
As seasons come and go, you keep your home within a fairly consistent internal temperature range (65˚ to 75˚ F). That means, during peak conditions, your heating and cooling systems have to work harder due to the temperature gap between the exterior and interior of your home–and it shows up on your bill.