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Crank Up That A/C, Lower That Bill

Kathy Waters/Highlands Today

Keith Wheeler with Moody's Services sets up a manifold and an electronic thermometer on an air-conditioner Saturday.

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By BILL RETTEW JR.

Highlands Today

Published: August 11, 2008

SEBRING - As air conditioner usage kicks into full gear at this time of the year, there's ways to curb that light bill.

Jeff Gourley, of Advanced Air System Service, compares saving electricity to saving gasoline. To him, a cutting-edge air conditioning system can save costs just like a high-mileage vehicle.

Regularly, consumers benefit from improvements. New air conditioning units contain more coils and more efficient motors and compressors.

Bob Moody, of Moody Services, said residential customers choose to install new units to replace old and worn out units or to save money by installing something more energy efficient.

The efficiency of air conditioners is often rated by the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). The higher the SEER rating of a unit, the more energy efficient it is. In 1990, the industry average for air conditioning units was 9 SEER. Now, the minimum standard is 13 SEER, and some cutting-edge units will perform at over 20 SEER.

Moody said the price for higher efficiency jumps as technology does.

"It's a choice of how far they on the SEER ladder they want to go," said Moody. "If they're going to stay in a home, and not sell, then with a higher the SEER, the faster and sooner you recoup your cost."

For those who use cooling the most, the savings is greatest. A move from a 10 SEER unit to a 15 SEER unit can save 15 to 20 percent in air conditioning costs, Moody said.

"You don't save money on a high SEER unit unless you're running it," said Moody. "The more you run, and the bigger the SEER, the more saved."

Like many technology purchases, the prices have come down. What was state-of-the-art five years ago, is the now the standard and is much cheaper.

Many factors can influence cooling costs, other than the efficiency of the cooling unit.

For those regularly away from their homes, Gourley suggested installing a programmable thermostat, which shuts down the cooling system when residents are away. It costs $200 to have one installed, and the thermostat can pay for itself within a couple of years, said Gourley.

Other factors that effect energy bills include: insulation; the sealing of the building (does air leak into the attic?); tinted windows and pulled blinds; the number of, and how often, televisions and computers are used; and a home's occupancy.

The amount of savings is unpredictable. Nothing is set in stone. A professional can predict costs when new equipment is installed, but predicting the savings is sometimes similar to a physician's diagnosis.

"Every home has its own personality," said Moody. "And everybody's body heals differently."

C.J. Drake, spokesman for Progress Energy, said that typically a third of each residential customer's electricity cost is attributed to heating and cooling usage.

"If you're not cooling efficiently, you could be wasting energy, which means you are wasting money," said Drake.

A trained professional from Progress Energy will visit the homes of customers and perform a free "energy check."

For an appointment, call 1-888-302-8348. For more information on energy saving tips and facts, go to a Progress Energy site at www.savethewatts.com

Bill Rettew Jr. can be contacted at 386-5857 or wrettew@highlandstoday.com

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