Many of the causes behind higher monthly energy bills are obvious suspects. Others, however, may be "under the radar" and not often considered. Here are three household appliances that could be consuming more than their fair share of energy and pushing costs higher:
The Refrigerator
It has a big footprint in your kitchen but often doesn’t loom large as a potential cause of higher energy bills. It was 1997 before refrigerators were included in the Department of Energy’s Energy Star standards. Since then, technology to enhance efficiency has been gradually incorporated in new models. Refrigerators manufactured before that year, or early in the time span since, may be operating well below today’s norm when it comes to electrical consumption. If your refrigerator falls in that category, consider upgrading and start saving now.
The Washing Machine
Most washers last 10 years or so. However, if yours is that old or older it may be much less efficient than units manufactured recently. A new efficient clothes washer today will use about 100,000 gallons less water over the upcoming decade than a new washer sold in 2007. Since most of that water is heated by gas or electricity, the new units will cost their owners an estimated $150 less in energy costs per year. Today’s efficient washers also extract water more efficiently, which reduces time in the dryer and also cuts energy expenses.
The HVAC Blower
If your air conditioner and furnace are up-to-date but the blower motor that circulates air is old-school, you may not be getting the full benefit of more efficient HVAC equipment. When the furnace or A/C is running, an outmoded, single-speed PSC (permanent split capacitor) blower fan can account for fully 10 percent of household electrical usage. New, variable-speed ECM (Electronically Commutated Motor) blowers are programmed to circulate air across a wide range of output and maintain more consistent indoor temperature. In addition, these highly efficient units use up to 75 percent less power than the old, original-equipment motors.
For more about lesser-known causes of high energy bills, in Broken Arrow ask the pros at Air Assurance.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about appliances and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “deeptuts/Pixabay”