Your business has certain energy needs throughout the year that can't be avoided, with heating and air conditioning among the most expensive. Colorado Springs winters call for increased heating bills for months at a time, but air conditioning is crucial during steamy summer months. Electric bills can make or break your budget, but there are ways to lower your bill during every month in the year. Consistent small fixes can add up to big savings if everyone in your company pitches in and helps.
Keep the Filters Clean
Keeping your filters clean and switching dirty ones for clean is probably the easiest and least expensive way to keep control of your HVAC costs. Clogged filters will make your furnace and air conditioner work harder, using more energy to do the same job as before. New filters only cost a few dollars, and can be changed out literally in seconds. Buy two filters each time you shop, so you'll always have a spare on hand.
Sign a Maintenance Contract
Contact a certified HVAC specialist and get your company a contract for yearly maintenance.
You'll get:
- a check-up on your entire system,
- advice on ways to save even more money,
- a tune up before air conditioning season in the spring and before furnace time in the fall, and
- regular maintenance throughout the year.
All machines need to be taken care of for them to work at their peak performance. Making sure your system is working right is one way to guarantee a lower energy bill.
Control Sunshine Access
Reducing the amount of sunlight that shines into your building can create significant savings in your air conditioning costs. As the sunlight comes into the room, it raises the ambient temperature, making your air conditioner work harder. Depending on your business building, various methods will work such as:
- Solar film that darkens windows and reduces available sunlight
- Awnings that shade windows through the hottest parts of the day
- Landscaping in the form of trees or bushes planted in front of windows to shade the sun
- Curtains and blinds that block the windows
In the winter, the opposite tactic will help your power bill. Open windows wide and allow as much sunshine inside as possible. Solar heat can raise the interior temperature by a surprising amount, and every degree counts when it comes to saving money.
Insulate Adequately
Once you get the temperature comfortable inside, it doesn't pay to allow the warm or cool air to escape into the outside. You may not be able to tear into your walls to insulate the building, but you can help by using weather stripping around all the doors and windows. This allows you to manage when you want the fresh air to be let into the building and when you want to stay sealed up, comfortable in your controlled environment.
Install Fans
Ceiling fans can cool a room enough so that you don't have to turn on the air conditioning in many instances. On days when it's just beginning to warm up, a cool breeze may be all you need to keep the air inside comfortable for customers and staff. Surprisingly, a fan can do a lot of good in the winter, as well. Heat rises, and the heat from your furnace will gather near the ceiling, leaving the lower part of the room cooler. Turn a ceiling fan on its lowest setting so that it gently wafts the warmer air downward. You'll heat the room enough so that you may be able to turn down the thermostat.
