Lack of Preventative Maintenance Just like a car, your AC needs regular tune-ups to run efficiently. A lack of preventative maintenance can lead to minor issues becoming major problems over time, affecting the efficiency of your AC and resulting in higher electricity bills.
Sixteen percent of the rate increases in California have come from the state's efforts to protect the grid against wildfires. Colorado, Texas, Hawaii, and Oregon have also seen significant wildfires in recent years that will likely push future bills higher.
Your AC is a complex machine with dozens of parts. When any one of those parts starts to wear out, it puts pressure on the rest of the system. Because it has to work harder to cool your air and function correctly, more energy is consumed, which pumps up your electricity bill.
Air conditioners can be a big driver of your electric bill in the summer. There are still a few weeks of summer left, which means we'll have to battle against the heat a little longer. It also means higher electric bills. It happens every year: Summer weather starts, the AC kicks on and your electric bill shoots up.
What costs the most on your electric bill? Heating and cooling are by far the greatest energy users in the home, making up around 40% of your electric bill. Other big users are washers, dryers, ovens, and stoves. Electronic devices like laptops and TVs are usually pretty cheap to run, but of course, it can all add up.
If you want to test how much power your appliances and devices are using in standby mode, you can buy an electricity usage monitor device. These devices allow you to plug in various tech or appliances and check how much power they're actually using, even in standby mode.
Fans use significantly less energy than air conditioning and can be a great way to cool off on a hot day. With cost as the primary consideration, many people opt to use ceiling fans or standing fans in place of air conditioning to save money.
Clean air filters regularly
Your AC will consume more electricity if your air filters and ducts are not clean. Air filters keep the dust out of your AC HVAC system, allowing it to run smoothly. They block the dust and let the clean air inside the AC to be cooled.
The average cost per kWh in the US is currently $0.11, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). This means an AC unit could cost you from $5.17 to $5.94 per day to run. Or about $155-$178 per month you're running it.
Air conditioners can cost anywhere between $0.32 and $1.87 to run per hour depending on the type and where you live. Investing in one or more fans for your home can be a great idea to keep your cooling costs down this summer. The upfront cost may be a bit higher but it'll pay itself in no time.
However, there are several other reasons your electricity bill has skyrocketed. In some states, like California, electricity prices can vary depending on the time of day. During peak hours, electricity may cost more. If you are blasting your air conditioning during peak hours, you can expect to pay a premium.
Frequent cycling, where you turn your air conditioner off and back on often, can increase your electricity bill and cause your system to wear down faster. However, strategic cycling—like raising the thermostat when you're not home—can lead to significant savings.
Your air conditioning system is one of the biggest culprits behind skyrocketing electric bills. When your air filter is dirty, refrigerant levels are low, your thermostat is faulty or you lack proper maintenance, your A/C system can end up using a lot more energy than it should.
By setting your air conditioning to run at full blast when temperatures are highest during the day, and then reducing its intensity at night, you can maintain comfort levels while minimizing energy waste and lowering your air conditioning bills.
Electricity usage can vary depending on different factors. On average, a home air conditioner can use about 3,000 watts of electricity an hour. If you have it on all day, that's 72,000 watts of electricity a day! However, running it on the 'fan-only' mode will only consume about 750 watts an hour.
One simple way to decrease energy costs is having a higher temperature setting on the thermostat when nobody is home. While you might be tempted to simply turn the AC off, it's actually better to adjust the temperature several degrees higher, by about 7-10 degrees.
Why Do Air Conditioners Cost So Much? The cost of an air conditioning unit can be attributed to a myriad of factors, including energy efficiency, cooling capacity, installation costs, and climate control.
While running your air conditioner will cool your home, it consumes a lot of energy, leading to higher electricity bills. Yet not using the air conditioner isn't practical.
Heating and cooling: 45-50%
The largest electricity consumer in the average household is your heating and cooling appliance. By a long shot. Central air conditioners and heaters use tons of energy in order to keep your home set to the right temperature.
Thanks to the cooling properties of ceiling fans, you can help to reduce your monthly energy costs. Most central air conditioning systems cost around 43 cents per hour when they're on, which can really add up over time. On the other hand, a ceiling fan typically costs a paltry one penny to run per hour.
Running a fan for the entire day will use some electricity, but it's far less than an air conditioning unit running for the same amount of time. Even if you run the fan for 24-hour periods, this would likely account for less than one dollar per day on your electricity bill.