How Can I Reduce My Energy Bills This Summer?

AC Repair, AC Tune-Ups, Duct Cleaning

In today’s blog, we’ll walk you through our tried and true recommendations for lessening the stress on your wallet. From DIY maintenance to smart home technologies, and even taking advantage of rebates and incentives, we’ll help you slash your cooling costs without sacrificing comfort.

Posted by Chris | June 27, 2024 | Reading Time: 5 minutes, 28 seconds

As the mercury rises on your thermometer, so can your energy bills. But it doesn’t have to be that way. This summer, save money with practical tips from Modern Air & Water!

Our experienced cooling technicians have been providing trusted AC repair and tune-up services in the Edmonton area for over 40 years. In today’s blog, we’ll walk you through our tried and true recommendations for lessening the stress on your wallet. From regular maintenance to smart home technologies, and even taking advantage of rebates and financing, we’ll help you slash your cooling costs without sacrificing comfort. Let’s begin!

Common issues for driving up your energy consumption: high levels of dust, high power demand, air leaks, improper AC unit sizing.

The Basics Of Home Cooling Efficiency

In the heat of the summer, understanding your energy consumption is key, because your home’s cooling systems can quickly drive up your utility bills before you even realize it.

Common Issues

Common issues driving up your consumption could include:

  • High levels of dirt dust and other allergens in the air – did you know that debris and allergen accumulation can reduce your AC’s efficiency anywhere between 5 – 15%? That adds up quickly!
  • High power demand – Your AC uses a lot of power to cool your home, especially in times of extreme heat. If components aren’t properly maintained and not working optimally, this power consumption increases even further.
  • Thermostat settings – Keeping your thermostat set too low can cause it to run continuously, upping your utility bills significantly.
  • Insulation & air leaks – If your home isn’t properly insulated all that cooled air, and your money, is being wasted. Consider inspecting the insulation around your home and ducts, as well as the seals around your windows and doors.
  • Improperly sized AC units – An AC that is too large or too small for your space operates inefficiently and leads to increased energy usage.
  • Lack of maintenance – Lack of maintenance is one of the biggest issues facing your energy consumption. Issues like dirty filters or faulty parts can quickly increase costs if you’re not on top of it.

Cost Effective Cooling Strategies

Ok, so we’ve gone over all the things that can affect your AC unit’s performance and efficiency, but what are some of the best ways to mitigate those issues?

  • Start by upgrading your thermostat to a newer, programmable smart option. Smart thermostats allow for greater control and convenience based around your habits and schedule.
  • Ensure your home is properly insulated. Consider upgrading the insulation in your walls or attic with blown-in cellulose insulation or rigid foam insulation to significantly reduce cooling loss.
  • Thermal or black out curtains can not only effectively block out the sun and residual heat from your home, they also act as another barrier of insulation to help keep your cooled air from escaping.
  • Finally, give Modern Air & Water a call and schedule a comprehensive residential duct cleaning! Excessive buildup of indoor contaminants can significantly reduce the air quality in your home, and put extra strain on your HVAC system. That’s why we’re proud to offer not only duct cleaning, but also sanitizing services using powerful vacuum trucks to remove unwanted particles from your ducts. Duct cleaning starts as low as $139, call us today!

The key to your air conditioner running its absolute best, and saving you money, is scheduling annual maintenance from Modern Air & Water

The Importance of Regular Maintenance

The key to your air conditioner running its absolute best, and saving you money, is scheduling annual maintenance from Modern Air & Water. We’re proud to provide reliable AC tune-up services, designed to ensure efficiency and reliability. You’ll get:

  • Thorough inspection of your AC unit and all its components.
  • Tighten and test all electrical connections.
  • Top up refrigerant levels.
  • Cleaning of Outdoor Condenser.

We’re also proud to provide customizable membership plans complete with annual scheduled inspections and tune-ups to keep your equipment in top shape, and catch potential failures before they happen. When you sign up for our ModernCare Membership you can rest assured we’re with you every step of the way, this summer and beyond!

Modern Air & Water is proud to offer our 12 year parts and labour warranty on all new AC installs.

Invest In Energy-Efficient Cooling Systems

Are you taking extra steps to make sure your existing AC feels loved and cared for, and you’re still rewarded with high energy bills every month? It might be time to consider an upgrade.The team at Modern Air & Water has you covered. We have been the preferred choice for air conditioning installation in Edmonton and the surrounding area for over four decades.

Our trained technicians come with industry leading products, fully stocked service trucks and the ability to answer any and all air conditioning and home comfort questions. We’re also proud to offer our 12 year parts and labour warranty on all new AC installs, so you can have the peace of mind knowing that we’re with you even after install is done.

Choosing The Right Air Conditioner

Energy Efficiency

Increased energy efficiency is probably the biggest benefit to AC replacement. Newer air conditioners are more efficient and will help save you money month over month on your cooling bills. Make sure you’re choosing a unit with at least a SEER rating greater than or equal to 15 for maximum savings. You can also look for the Energy Star symbol, which shows an AC unit has met their rigorous efficiency standards.

Proper Sizing

A properly sized air conditioner is key to keeping costs down. Our cooling technicians will calculate the square footage of your space and consider factors like ceiling height, window location and size, and insulation quality in order to quickly determine the best options for your home cooling needs.

Variable AC vs. Single Stage

Variable speed AC units are generally more energy efficient because they can operate at lower speeds for a longer period of time, which consumes less power than single stage units that are constantly powering up and down.

Reach out to Modern Air & Water to discuss Financing and rebate options that might be available to help reduce the cost of a new AC unit.

Financing Options

At Modern Air & Water we make it easy to get access to premium AC equipment options with our comprehensive financing program. We’ve partnered with FinanceIt so you can enjoy no payments, and 0% interest for 6 months on the purchase of your new air conditioner.

Summer Savings Summed Up

This summer remember that changes both big and small can have significant impacts on your energy consumption. From installing a new AC, to regular maintenance and doing other small home improvements, embrace these tips to stay cool while keeping costs low, and enjoy a more comfortable and sustainable summer!

If you have any questions about your AC unit or home comfort give our friendly team a call today to find out why we are Edmonton’s go-to company for HVAC services.