How to Lower Your Cooling Bills This Summer in the NRV

Summer in the New River Valley brings plenty of sunshine and outdoor fun, but it also brings soaring temperatures and heavy humidity. As the heat rises, so does the runtime of your air conditioner, which often leads to shockingly high monthly energy bills.

Many homeowners assume that high utility costs are simply the unavoidable price of staying comfortable from June through August. However, minor adjustments to your daily routine and basic system upkeep can drastically improve your HVAC efficiency.

At Air Tech Heating & Cooling, we have been providing affordable air conditioning services to both residential and commercial customers in the New River Valley for over 15 years. Our goal is to keep you comfortable without breaking the bank. If you want to keep your home cool and your wallet full this summer, here are five smart HVAC habits to start implementing today.

1. Optimize Your Thermostat Settings

The way you set your thermostat has the single biggest impact on your monthly cooling costs. While it is tempting to drop the temperature down to 65 degrees on a sweltering afternoon, doing so forces your compressor to run continuously, consuming massive amounts of electricity.

Most people find a temperature setting of 70-75 degrees to be completely comfortable. To save even more on your energy bill, we highly recommend raising the normal temperature by 2-4 degrees when you are not at home using a programmable or Wi-Fi-enabled thermostat. However, try to avoid changing the temperature by more than 4 degrees; if you change it by any more than that, the energy required to return to the original temperature will offset any savings.

2. Change Your Air Filters Monthly

Your air conditioner requires a steady flow of air to function correctly. When your air filter becomes clogged with dust, pet dander, and pollen, the system has to work twice as hard to pull air through that barrier. This restriction not only drives up your energy costs but can also lead to frozen coils and system breakdowns.

For traditional filters, we recommend changing them every month during the peak cooling season. If your home utilizes a whole-house HEPA filter, it only needs to be changed about once every 6-12 months. Keeping a fresh filter in place is the easiest and cheapest way to maintain peak airflow and efficiency.

3. Enroll in a Preventative Maintenance Plan

Air conditioners are complex mechanical systems that undergo immense stress during the summer. Neglecting routine maintenance allows minor wear and tear to snowball into major efficiency losses.

Regular preventative maintenance of your air conditioner is essential to keeping it running properly, reducing your energy costs, and extending the life of your unit. We have preventative maintenance plans for both residential and commercial customers that include all the maintenance needed to keep your equipment running smoothly. During a routine check, our technicians take care of vital tasks like flushing the drain, checking Freon levels, and cleaning the coils. This fine-tuning ensures your system uses the absolute minimum amount of electricity required to cool your home.

4. Keep Your Vents and Registers Clear

Take a walk through your home and inspect all of your floor and wall registers. Are any of them blocked by area rugs, heavy curtains, or large pieces of furniture?

Blocking supply vents disrupts the carefully balanced airflow of your HVAC system. When air cannot circulate freely into a room, the space will remain warm, causing your thermostat to signal the AC to keep running. Ensure all vents are fully open and unobstructed to allow conditioned air to flow efficiently throughout the house.

5. Consider Upgrading an Aging System

If your air conditioner is over 10 to 15 years old, no amount of maintenance will allow it to perform with the efficiency of a modern unit. Older units simply require more electricity to produce cold air.

If your old unit just isn't cutting it anymore, or if it's frequently breaking down and leaving you stuck in the heat, giving us a call to install a state-of-the-art unit is a smart financial move. Changing an older air conditioning unit for a newer model can reduce energy costs by 20-40%, even for a unit that is only ten years old. For units that were built in the 1970s, the cost reduction could be up to 50%.

Stay Cool and Save Money with Air Tech Heating & Cooling

Don't let an inefficient air conditioner drain your summer budget. Whether you need a simple tune-up, a rapid repair, or a complete system replacement, our certified technicians have the experience and dedication to maximize your home's comfort.

We service all major brands of air conditioners, including Trane, Carrier, American Standard, Howe, York, Mitsubishi, AmeriStar, and more. We are proud to serve homeowners across the New River Valley, including:

• Christiansburg, VA
• Blacksburg, VA
• Radford, VA
• Riner, VA

With our low-price guarantee, you can have peace of mind knowing that you are getting the best possible price when you use Air Tech. Contact Air Tech Heating & Cooling today to schedule your preventative maintenance or request a free estimate for a high-efficiency replacement!