Energy Archives - Action Heating & Conditioning

Easy Ways to Reduce your Heating and Cooling Energy Consumption

15 Jul 2013

Energy, Finances, Insulation, Ventilation

In most American homes, heating and cooling accounts for over half of the household’s energy consumption according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Cutting those costs down to a manageable level needn’t be difficult or expensive. There’s a variety of ways to make improvements without comprising the level of comfort in your Mobile AL home. Any step that you take that allows your AC and heater to run less often helps lower your monthly utility bills. Here are five easy ways to reduce costs for your heating and cooling in Mobile AL.

1. Seal Up the Envelope

The term “building envelope” describes the exterior walls, ceilings and floors that make up the outer shell of your home. Any feature that passes through that shell, such as window, doors, vents and utility fixtures, is a potential cause of energy waste. Armed with weather-stripping material, spray foam and caulking, you can easily seal up the gaps in your home’s building envelope and lower your energy costs.

2. Add Attic Insulation

According to the EPA, around 80 percent of homes constructed before the 1980s have inadequately insulated attics. Poor insulation lets heat escape from your home in the winter and allows heat indoors during the summer. Adding insulation to your attic allows your HVAC systems to run less frequently without compromising your comfort.

3. Landscape Strategically

With some strategic plantings, your landscaping can reduce the length of time that your heating and cooling systems operate. In wind-prone areas, densely planted shrubs and trees help keep breezes at bay. Deciduous trees planted near the south and southwest sides of your home offer shade in the summer while letting winter sun filter through.

4. Schedule HVAC Maintenance

Heating and cooling systems are designed to deliver years of performance when properly maintained. A neglected system typically needs to run longer to deliver the same degree of comfort. HVAC experts and consumer advocates agree that scheduling seasonal maintenance for your HVAC systems pays off in better efficiency, fewer repairs and a longer service life.

5. Install Energy-Efficient HVAC Equipment

The heating and cooling equipment manufactured today is up to 40 percent more energy efficient than those produced just a decade ago. If your HVAC equipment is more than ten years old, you’ll likely save more money over the long run with a modern replacement. The variety of features included in newer models means that you’ll enjoy an enhanced level of comfort too.

Action Heating & Air Conditioning is pleased to offer a broad range of HVAC products that operate at high energy efficiency, saving you money through reduced monthly energy costs. As experts in heating and cooling in Mobile AL, our NATE-certified technicians are well-acquainted with the types, makes and models that work best in the community. A commitment to excellence means that you can depend on our skilled techs to provide expert service and repairs as well. Please contact us for all your HVAC needs.

What is the secret to low utility bills? – Theodore, AL

28 Jun 2013

The single greatest user of energy in your home is your home heating and cooling system. Keeping your home comfortable represents about half of your total utility bill. So how do you determine what portion of your utility bill is heating and cooling cost? There are 4 months out of the year when very little heating and cooling is needed – March, April, October, and November. If you look back on your utility bills and average those 4 months, you can use this number to represent your “base” utility. Base utility is the cost of all the other things in your home like washing and drying clothes, cooking, heating water, televisions, lights and etc. By subtracting that base average from any other month and you can get a pretty good idea what you are spending on heating or cooling. For instance if your base average is $95 and you have a July bill that is $350, you’ll know the cooling cost is about $255. If you live in a large home that may be acceptable, but if you live in a small home, that would be considered a very high utility bill. For example, we provide service on a 2512 sq. ft home with all electric appliances that has an average power bill of $131 per month. If you suspect your heating and cooling system is costing too much and would like to know how you can reduce your utility bills, call us today at 517-3050.

5 Tips to Help You Conserve Energy

28 Jun 2013

Energy conservation is on everyone’s mind in these days of high utility costs. So what are the top 5 things that you can do to lower your utility bills here in the South. You will be amazed what each of these can do.

1. Seal leaky ductwork. Leaky ductwork allows your hard earned energy $’s to escape into the attic. On average about 20% of your total heating and cooling cost is due to air “leaking” into the attic.

2. Use calk and weather-stripping to seal cracks in your home. A leaky house allows unwanted heat and moisture to enter your home.

3. Blow additional insulation above your ceiling. The ceiling is the single greatest source of heat entry into your home.

4. Replace incandescent bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs or LED bulbs. CFLs put off 75% less heat with the same amount of light. Remember, all heat added to a home in the summer, has to be removed by the a/c system.

5. Replace an old inefficient heating and cooling system. Simply put, new systems are 20% to 50% more efficient than systems installed just 8 years ago.

By incorporating the 5 steps above, we have seen customers reduce their energy bills by 60% to 75% . Call our office if you would like a free energy audit. 251-517-3050

Save Money on Your Energy Costs and Schedule an Energy Audit in Mobile Today

28 Jun 2013

Do you get frustrated every time you pay the utility bill for your Mobile, Alabama home or business? Do the energy costs seem to increase monthly in spite of your best efforts to contain them? If so, an energy auditor from Action Heating & Air Conditioning can help you uncover problems that may be contributing to your high energy costs.

The energy auditors at our company use the Home Performance Evaluation that was designed by Energy Star. This program was created as a joint effort between the Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Department of Energy. The agencies collaborated together to create a program that would reduce high energy costs while also addressing environmental concerns. When our energy auditors conduct a review of your home or business in Mobile, they will look for ways that both issues can be resolved.

In order to reduce your energy costs, our energy auditors must have a good understanding of how well your HVAC equipment is functioning. This will help them to pinpoint inefficiency and make suggestions for improvement. One of the most obvious solutions for improving energy efficiency is to replace HVAC equipment that has become outdated or inefficient. The general industry recommendations are to consider replacement of an Action Heating & Air Conditioning air conditioner that is more than 10 years old or a furnace that you have owned for more than 15 years. Our energy auditors also pay close attention to your ductwork, attic insulation and other components that work with your HVAC system to provide heating and cooling.

After receiving a written report from an energy auditor at Action Heating & Air Conditioning, you are free to either implement our ideas or discard them. We are willing to work with your preferences and your budget in order to ensure that you have the most energy efficient home or business possible.

Tips to Save on Energy Costs in Your Older Home in Mobile

28 Jun 2013

Owning an older home in Mobile, AL does not have to mean spending too much money on energy costs. Our Our air conditioning experts have many years of experience helping owners of older homes bring down energy costs and improve energy efficiency. These tips will help reduce your utility bills while maintaining an ideal level of indoor comfort in your older home.

Home Improvements
One of the most cost effective ways to reduce your energy costs is to make simple home improvements to reduce air leaks and other inefficiencies in your home. Adding insulation to your attic, caulking around windows and putting weather stripping on doors reduces the burden on your air conditioner. Selecting Energy Star rated appliances when replacing your water heater, dishwasher, refrigerator and clothes dryer also helps reduce the amount of heat generated in your home that your air conditioner must then cool.

Air Conditioning Replacement
If your home’s current air conditioner is more than 10 years old, it is not as energy efficient as air conditioners available today. Today’s new air conditioners offer SEER ratings of 14 and higher, meaning that they are 30 percent more cost effective than older air conditioning systems. By scheduling an air conditioning replacement for your older home, you could save hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year on your air conditioning costs.

At Action Heating & Air Conditioning, our service technicians help you save on energy costs in your older Mobile, AL home. From advising you on home improvements to air conditioning replacement, our team is dedicated to serving the community. When you are looking for a reliable company to reduce your energy costs, service your air conditioner or perform an air conditioning replacement, our professionals at Action Heating & Air Conditioning look forward to assisting you.