Over the last several months, I have noticed that my energy bill has been steadily increasing.
- Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue except, I have not been consuming too much energy.
First, I live alone, and I don’t have any unnecessary appliances or devices running in my home. I also keep my HVAC unit set to 78 degrees during the day as this is the ideal temperature for the Summer that is recommended by the Department of Energy. During the night, I lower that temperature to 74 degrees to ensure a comfortable night of sleep. I have been doing this for years and never noticed a spike in my energy bill. So, I am wondering if my HVAC unit is consuming more energy than it did before. The unit is about 17 years old, and although it cools my home with no issues, I am wondering if it’s working harder than normal to keep up with the cooling. I got the HVAC unit serviced a few months ago, and the technician did mention that I should consider replacing the unit soon. Typically, the type of HVAC unit that I have has a lifespan of between 10 to 25 years. Good maintenance can keep the unit running, but of course weather is a factor as well. And lately, the weather has been warmer than usual, which means the air conditioner is cycling on more frequently. This means there is much more wear and tear on the system that is already old. The good news is, I haven’t had any major issues or malfunctions with the HVAC unit, the signs are starting to become clear that I need to replace it soon.