When we offer to help you “get a grip” on higher heating bills, we’re not offering to make it easier for you to look at higher bills and just cope with having to pay more. No, we want to help you get those bills under control. You expect the cost to heat your house to rise during the winter: even in Texas, our weather grows colder this time of year. But if that rise is much higher than you’ve seen before and it’s not connected to an uptick in energy costs, you can take various steps to lower your bills back down to a sensible level.
Below are some ways to manage lower winter heating costs in your house. Some you do on your own, others may require calling us to assist.
Replace your old heater
Instead of starting with a small problem and building up from there, we’re going to begin with the “big fix” your house may need: a new heating system. One of the main causes for skyrocketing heating bills are heaters that are far too old to work efficiently any more.
For example, a gas furnace can often last more than 15 years, but that’s the point where it will begin to see an efficiency drop. If you’ve got a heating system above its estimated service life, the best way to corral heating costs is to start with a fresh heating system.
Manage thermostat settings
A quick course (or refresher) on how to set your thermostat for maximum energy savings: During the day when people are home, keep the thermostat set to 68°F, which is comfortable for most residents.
Lower it by 8°F at night or when nobody is home. (It helps to have a programmable thermostat, so consider making that upgrade.) These steady settings can save you up to 20% over the season.
Regularly change the air filter in the HVAC system
Clogged air filters are a top source of energy waste, and homeowners often neglect to make routine filter changes that stop this. Depending on the filter’s strength, it should be changed every one to three months. If your HVAC system still has the same filter it was using in summer, it’s far past time to have it changed.
Make sure all vents are clear and open
Blocked room vents don’t help with “zone control”; they instead cause a pressure increase inside the ventilation system that puts more work on the blower fan. We recommend you tour your house to check all room vents to ensure they are fully open and not blocked by any furnishings.
Schedule repairs
If you still can’t figure out why your heating bills are so high, please call us to schedule a heating repair in San Marcos, TX. Rises in heating costs are one of the major warning signs that a heater has a malfunction, and the proper targeted repair will get costs back to normal—and prevent a more serious malfunction down the road.
At Thayer Air Conditioning, Your comfort is our #1 priority! Call us when you need heating repair—we’re already on our way!
