Some Myths About Electricity Use in Relation to Your HVAC System

Some Myths About Electricity Use in Relation to Your HVAC System

Californians are always on the lookout to make their lives a little greener, and Pasadena is no exception to that rule. And with just about half of the average home’s energy bills going to heating and cooling, knowing what’s true and what’s not about how to manage electricity use in your home HVAC system can save you money – and grief. Here are some myths about how these systems interact:

Letting the house warm up and having to cool it back down again is more expensive than keeping it cool all day.

This one makes sense on the surface (it takes more energy to cool a warm area than a cool one), but the sense is only skin deep. Really, compared to running your A/C, you’re saving money through all the time it’s off – whether you’re out of the house on errands or just don’t feel like listening to it all day. If your home is well-sealed and well-insulated, it can even stay cool while your A/C takes a break.

Efficiency is the only metric you need to consider when buying new appliances.

While an efficient appliance will save you money compared to other appliances, it’s not the whole story. You need to account for the sizing and heat load of your home – which may change if you’ve installed other upgrades, such as insulation and sealing – or you may end up over-sizing your appliance and losing your electricity use savings.

When appliances are off, they don’t use energy.

Actually, any appliance that’s left plugged-in – TVs, computers, cell phones – continue to draw energy, even when they’re not in operation. Unplugging your appliances means you won’t waste money on this “standby energy”.

To learn more about getting the most bang for your buck when it comes to your Pasadena-area energy use, call Air-Tro today at 626-357-3535.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Monrovia, California area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).