Energy Tips
Handbook
Booklet - Energy Tips Handbook - Cover.indd 1Booklet - Energy Tips Handbook - Cover.indd 1 10/27/23 11:26 AM10/27/23 11:26 AM
Interact with the
City of Tallahassee Utilities
Visit
Talgov.com/YOU
Email
YourOwnUtilities@Talgov.com
Smartphone App
DigiTally
Social Media
@CityofTLH
Call
850-891-4968
TTY Hearing Impaired: 850-891-8169
Hours of Operation:
Daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
(Emergency Service Available 24/7)
Visit
Frenchtown Renaissance Center
435 N. Macomb St.
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Hours of Operation:
Mon. – Fri. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Fax
850-891-0901
Booklet - Energy Tips Handbook - Cover.indd 2Booklet - Energy Tips Handbook - Cover.indd 2 10/27/23 11:26 AM10/27/23 11:26 AM
Interact with the
City of Tallahassee Utilities
Visit
Talgov.com/YOU
Email
YourOwnUtilities@Talgov.com
Smartphone App
DigiTally
Social Media
@CityofTLH
Call
850-891-4968
TTY Hearing Impaired: 850-891-8169
Hours of Operation:
Daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
(Emergency Service Available 24/7)
Visit
Frenchtown Renaissance Center
435 N. Macomb St.
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Hours of Operation:
Mon. – Fri. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Fax
850-891-0901
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Revised: October 27, 2023
City of Tallahassee Utilities
850-891-4968
Talgov.com/YOU
City of Tallahassee Utilities
850-891-4968
Talgov.com/YOU
City of Tallahassee Utilities
850-891-4968
Talgov.com/YOU
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Table of Contents
Ways to Save ����������������������������������������� 2
Causes of High Utility Bills ��������������������� 7
Heating and Cooling ����������������������� 8
Water Heaters ������������������������������� 24
Pool Pumps ����������������������������������� 27
In the Attic ������������������������������������ 27
Refrigerators and Freezers �������������� 29
Lighting ���������������������������������������� 30
In the Laundry Room ���������������������� 30
Other Appliances �������������������������� 31
Cooking ��������������������������������������� 32
Windows �������������������������������������� 32
In the Bathroom ���������������������������� 34
Outside the Home ������������������������� 35
Weatherstripping and Caulking������� 35
Miscellaneous Findings ������������������ 36
Index �������������������������������������������������� 38
For more information on products & services
designed to help you save energy, water and
money, call the City of Tallahassee Utilities at
850-891-4968 or visit Talgov.com/YOU.
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2 Ways to Save
Ways to Save
The following suggestions will help you
save energy, water and money.
Tips are categorized by:Tips are categorized by:
/
Both Summer
& Winter
Summer Only
Winter Only
For more information on products & services
designed to help you save energy, water and
money, call the City of Tallahassee Utilities at
850-891-4968 or visit Talgov.com/YOU.
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3Ways to Save
1� / Insulate your attic� Insulation
levels for Tallahassee:
• R-38 if you have a heat pump or gas
furnace�
• R-49 if you heat with electric resistance
heat strips only�
2� / Cook faster with a lid on the pan�
3�
/ Turn off the burner on electric
range tops a little early� Allow cooking
to finish as the burner cools�
4�
/ Track your energy usage each
month at Talgov�com/YOU� Compar-
ing monthly usage gets you thinking,
changing habits and using less energy�
5� / Set your central heating and
air thermostat’s FAN selection to
“AUTO,” not “ON�”
6� / Close your fireplace damper
when not in use�
7�
/ Arrange items in your
refrigerator for quick removal� The less
the refrigerator door is open, the better�
8� / Use energy-saving settings
on washing machines, dryers,
dishwashers and refrigerators�
9�
/ Use hot water wisely� Repair
leaks� Hot water leaks increase your
energy, water and sewer costs�
10� / If you’re away from home for
extended periods:
• Turn off your electric water heater at
the breaker panel�
• Turn your Heating unit to “OFF�”
11� / Turn off lights when not in use�
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4 Ways to Save
12� / Turn down water heater
thermostats to 120º F�
13� / Use a clothesline� Dry clothes in
the sun’s free heat�
14�
/ Wash clothes in cold water�
Almost all the cost of clothes washing is
in the cost to heat water�
15�
/ Clean the clothes dryer lint
screen frequently� Check and clean the
outdoor flapper vent, too�
16� / Seal air leaks around doors
and windows with caulk and
weatherstripping�
17� / Keep all AC supply registers
open� Closing off rooms or registers
will not save money and may lead to
problems later�
18�
/ Repair air duct leaks in the attic
or under the house�
19� / Change the AC filter monthly
during heavy use� Dirty filters slow down
airflow and cause the unit to run longer�
20�
Set the AC thermostat at 78º F
or higher� Raise it a few degrees when
away during the day� Setting the AC at
70º F instead of 78º F can double your
operating cost!
21� Don’t try to speed-cool at a very
low temperature when you get home�
Standard single-speed air conditioners
cool as fast as they can when on; they
can’t cool any faster� Choose your
normal setting, preferably 78º F�
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5Ways to Save
22� Use fans in mild weather� A ceil-
ing fan at medium speed uses 50 to 100
times less energy than your central AC�
23� Set your thermostat a few degrees
higher when running a ceiling fan�
You will feel as cool at 80º F as you
would at 78º F, but costs are reduced by
about 15 - 25 percent�
24�
Use a microwave instead of the
range or oven� The microwave cooks
fast and doesn’t heat the kitchen�
25�
Keep windows and doors closed
while air conditioning�
26� Close all shades, drapes and
blinds during the day�
27� Wear lightweight clothing,
preferably cotton, and adjust the
thermostat higher�
28�
Vent the clothes dryer to the
outdoors� This prevents heat and
moisture from getting into the house�
29� Limit oven use and cook outdoors�
30�
Plant trees for shade on the east and
west sides of your home� This can reduce
air conditioning costs by 30 percent�
31� Use as few lights as needed� Lights
put off heat� About 99 percent of a lamp’s
energy is converted to heat while the
remaining one percent is converted to light�
32� Switch to LED lights� They provide
the same amount of light for 1/6 the cost
and 1/6 the heat output, while lasting 25
times longer than incandescent light bulbs�
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6 Ways to Save
33� Set your heating thermostat care-
fully and accurately� Recommended
daytime indoor temperature in winter
is 68º F� The nighttime setting depends
on the type of equipment used:
• Heat pump: At night = 65º F
• Furnaces: At night = 55º - 60º F
• Electric-resistance heating: At night =
55º - 60º F
34�
Dress warmer and adjust the
thermostat lower�
35� Let the sun in� Open your shades,
drapes or blinds to admit the sun’s heat
on cold days� Close them at night�
36�
If you have a heat pump, be sure
the thermostat is not accidentally set
to “EMERGENCY HEAT�” Costs can
double in the Emergency Heat mode�
37� If you have a heat pump, be sure
the big outdoor fan spins when
you’re heating the house� If the
outside fan doesn’t spin when you’re
heating, you’re probably heating with
the system’s backup electric heat strips
at double the cost�
38� If you return from work or school
to a cold house, turn the heat up, but
no higher than your usual thermostat
setting� It doesn’t heat any faster at a
higher setting�
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7Causes of High Utility Bills
Causes of
High Utility
Bills
The City of Tallahassee Utilities’ energy
auditors have been investigating home
energy problems in Tallahassee for
decades. Here are some things they
frequently find that cause high bills.
For more information on products & services
designed to help you save energy, water and
money, call the City of Tallahassee Utilities at
850-891-4968 or visit Talgov.com/YOU.
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8 Causes of High Utility Bills
Heating and Cooling
1� Thermostat set too low� Keep the
summer setting at 78º F or raise it two or
three degrees higher when you’re away�
Research in Florida shows that home
cooling costs increase 12 percent for
each degree setting below 80º F� That
means your cooling cost can almost
double if you set the thermostat at 70º F
instead of 78º F�
2� Clogged air filter� Change the air filter
monthly during periods of heavy use�
Restricted air flow causes HVAC (heating,
ventilating and air conditioning) systems
to run less efficiently� A clogged filter
increases cost, reduces comfort and can
lead to equipment failures� Ice may form
on the air conditioner’s evaporator coils,
which can lead to total breakdown and
costly compressor replacement�
3� Evaporator coils clogged with dust�
Have a service technician check and
clean the evaporator coils annually�
Restricted airflow will cause the system to
operate less effectively and at a greater
cost� Energy efficiency goes down
about 5 percent every year as the coils
get dirtier� Here’s why: With central air
conditioning, all the air in the house
passes repeatedly through the filter and
then over the cooling (evaporator) coils�
Despite the protective filter, the cold and
wet cooling coils gather dust and dirt�
4� Fan set at “ON” rather than “AUTO�”
Setting the fan to “ON” means the fan
runs constantly� Don’t do this! Keeping
the fan set to “AUTO” keeps costs and
humidity lower and comfort higher�
5� Heat pump cooling and heating
simultaneously� This is a rare condition
that can triple a home’s cooling cost� It
is caused by a variety of thermostat and
wiring problems�
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9Causes of High Utility Bills
6� Central heat strips repeatedly turn
off and on in summer� This happens
even with the indoor thermostat set to
“OFF�” Because of a thermostat, control
wiring or other wiring problem, the
central electric heating strips (10,000
to 20,000 watts) come on even though
the distribution fan is off� Without the
fan running, heat from the strips builds
up but is not distributed� This eventually
activates a high-temperature safety
switch, which turns off the strips, allows
them to cool and come on, again� What
are heat strips? Picture a super-sized
glowing red toaster element that warms
the passing air in your central ductwork�
7� Thermostat displays the wrong
temperature� The temperature reading
on the thermostat is inaccurate when the
system is miscalibrated� For instance, the
thermostat may be set on 78º F, but it’s
really 75º F� This is very common, and some
are as much as 10 degrees off� For a simple
remedy, place an accurate thermometer
on top of the thermostat, note the degrees
of inaccuracy and adjust up or down as
needed� For a free small thermometer
with adhesive backing, call the City of
Tallahassee Utilities at 850-891-4968�
8� Inadequate return air from the house
into the AC air handler� Return air
grills in the floor may be partly or entirely
covered by a rug or other obstruction�
This can increase operating costs and
´shorten equipment life due to a reduced
volume of return air back to the indoor
HVAC cooling coil� Ice may form on the
indoor coil – a precursor to system failure�
9� A “forgotten” HVAC filter located in
a return duct under the house� Older
systems may have a filter located in a
fairly inaccessible area, such as under
the house� If unchanged, it becomes
clogged shut� Other problems can occur
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10 Causes of High Utility Bills
there� Plastic bags and other items can
get pulled into the return air system and
get wedged against the filter�
10� Damaged ductwork due to animals�
Possums and dogs can tear apart
ductwork� Rodents like to bed in ceiling
insulation� Major energy loss occurs
when damaged supply or return ducts
send cooled air to the attic or outdoors�
11� Double-wide mobile home has critical
air leak at the duct crossover� New
double-wide mobile homes arrive on
site pre-assembled in two halves, with air
conditioning ductwork factory installed
under each half� A critical cross connection
is made on site which joins the ductwork
under the two halves of the mobile home�
If that crossover connection subsequently
falls loose, enormous amounts of heated
or cooled air will escape outside� Cooling
equipment runs longer� Operating costs
skyrocket�
12� HVAC air handler, located in a hallway
closet, pulls return air from the attic
as well as the house� This may occur
in homes where a heat pump replaced
a gas or fuel oil furnace in a hallway
closet� The original furnace, which pulled
combustion air from the attic through
an opening in the closet ceiling, was
replaced with the heat pump’s “blower-
coil” unit� The ceiling opening remains�
The new blower coil pulls air from the attic
as well as the house�
13� Inefficient air conditioning equipment;
inefficient air delivery system� Central
air conditioners over 25 years old are
likely to have an original efficiency rating
of SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency
Ratio) 7�5 or less, and the efficiency drops
even lower with aging� In 2023, Federal
law requires that new split system heat
pumps installed in the US Southeast have
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11Causes of High Utility Bills
efficiency rating of at least SEER 15�0 (or
SEER2 of 14�3 in the new terminology)�
• What the SEER ratings mean:
» If your cooling cost is $600 a sum-
mer with a SEER 8�0 unit, your cost
would be $300 a summer for the
same amount of cooling with a
SEER 16�0 unit�
• Other factors affecting air conditioning
efficiency:
» Dirty coils degrade efficiency by
about 5 percent each year at
normal rates of dirt accumulation
» Duct leaks account for about 20
percent of air conditioning energy
consumption in most Florida homes
» Improper refrigerant charge
14� Incorrect HVAC refrigerant charge�
Overcharging is worse: Cooling is
reduced, and power demand and system
stress is increased�
15� Continually running AC compressor�
The compressor may run even when the
indoor distribution fan is not running�
This is a costly problem�
16� Outdoor condenser located beneath
a wooden deck� Air flow is restricted�
Normally, whatever heat is removed
from the house by an air conditioning
system is released to the outdoors from
the backyard condenser unit� To work
well, it needs plenty of clearance from
bushes, decks, folded lawn chairs, etc�
The cleaner the outdoor coils, the better
the AC works�
17� Malfunctioning gas combination
appliance� A combination appliance
or hydrohead system uses a powerful
gas water heater to heat the residence
in winter, as well as heating the water
all year� If it keeps sending heat to the
house, so in summer, it’s a problem�
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12 Causes of High Utility Bills
The cause could be faulty check valves
installed backwards, or faulty electronic
controls�
18� Leaky supply-air or return-air
plenums� Plenums are the air-collecting
boxes on the upstream and downstream
sides of the blower-coil unit that distributes
air in the house� To find out more and
see if your home qualifies for a duct leak
repair grant, call 850-891-4968�
19� Air conditioner’s indoor component
(the blower coil that distributes
air to rooms) is located in a small
closet directly over the electric water
heater� In some older apartments and
townhomes, the water heater and its
uninsulated pipes heat the passing air on
its way to the AC cooling coils and fan in
the summer� It helps to lower the water
heater’s two thermostats to the lowest
appropriate temperature (usually 115º –
125º F in homes with dishwashers) and
insulate the water heater and the hot and
cold pipes atop the water heater�
20� The HVAC system has moisture in the
refrigerant� Efficiency is reduced 5 - 15
percent� Worse yet, it’s probably heading
for an expensive compressor failure�
21� The HVAC system draws warm, moist
outdoor air through an unsealed PVC
pipe (chase) that protects refrigerant
lines in the slab� Costs rise as the air
conditioner works to cool and dry outdoor
air admitted to the system by this and
other routes� The best remedy is usually
an application of spray-expanding foam
caulk to seal those airways�
22� The clothes dryer vent shoots lint
onto the air conditioner’s outdoor
condenser coils� Unable to release
heat, the AC system runs longer, increas-
ing costs�
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13Causes of High Utility Bills
23� The small pump on a water heating
waste-heat-recovery unit runs
nonstop� It stays on whether the air
conditioner is running or not� This
increases costs dramatically, especially
if the water heater is far from the air
conditioner’s outdoor condenser�
24� The air conditioner’s outdoor
condenser bakes in the sun� This
increases operating costs� The optimal
position for the unit is on the home’s
north side, in shade with 4 feet of
clearance (plenty of breathing room)�
25� The house is very large� Larger homes
usually have higher cooling (and heat-
ing) costs�
26� Garage converted to a family room�
This uninsulated space may lack exterior
wall insulation as well as ceiling insulation�
27� Oversized air conditioner way too big
for the house� A grossly oversized air
conditioner cycles on and off frequently,
removes less moisture, and wastes energy�
The unit cools powerfully but doesn’t run
long enough to dry the air� The result is
a cool, damp interior; higher operating
costs; lower comfort; and the likelihood
of mold and mildew problems� Lowering
the thermostat a few degrees will cause
the system to run longer and will dry the
air a bit but will over-cool the house and
increase relative humidity�
28� Open or nonexistent fireplace
damper� This lets outside air in or lets
indoor air escape� Costs rise in either
case, especially if HVAC ducts also leak,
which is usually the case� An informal
survey by energy auditors showed that
among customers who thought their
fireplace dampers were closed, about
50 percent were wrong; they were open�
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14 Causes of High Utility Bills
29� Air conditioning supply registers
are closed off� If you have a central
air conditioner or heat pump, don’t
close off room vents� When you do, the
house becomes negatively pressured
compared to the outdoors, and warm,
moist outdoor air gets pulled in� What’s
more, airflow across the HVAC cooling
coil is reduced, which lowers the system’s
energy efficiency and cooling capacity�
The system runs longer and operating
costs rise�
30� Bedroom doors are closed, leaving no
way for air supplied to the rooms to
circulate back to the air conditioner�
Each closed-off bedroom becomes
positively pressured, while all other rooms
become negatively pressured with respect
to the outdoors� This causes more air
leakage from the inside to the outdoors
and vice versa� Air can leak through
bathroom vents, fireplace vents and
dampers; around windows and doors;
through recessed ceiling light fixtures;
around attic hatches or pull-down attic
doors; through electric plug and light
switch-plates, etc� Consequently, the air
conditioner runs longer to keep the house
cool and dry� Operating costs rise�
31� An air conditioning supply duct leads
to the garage� It wastes energy to cool
the garage� It’s outside the home’s shell
of insulation�
32� The air conditioning system’s return
air grill is situated low on a wall and
blocked by furniture, or it’s at floor-
level and covered by a rug or other
object� This results in poor return air
flow, higher operating costs and other
similar problems�
33� A small pool or spa is situated inside
the house� Phenomenal moisture
problems result, not to mention high air
conditioning costs� Remember, the air
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15Causes of High Utility Bills
conditioner works to remove moisture
as well as remove heat� Even in normal
circumstances, about 38 percent of the
air conditioner’s work (and operating
cost) is devoted to moisture removal�
34� The entire house is cooled with a
variety of old, inefficient window air
conditioners� Customers with window
air conditioners usually have significantly
lower bills than those with central cooling
systems� This is because only one or two
rooms are cooled some of the time,
rather than cooling the whole house all
of the time� However, if four or five old
window units are operating all summer
to cool the whole house, then costs get
high� Older window units often have
energy efficiency ratings around 5 EER;
newer central systems are nearly three
times as energy efficient�
35� A large whole-house fan with
incompletely closed louvers is
installed in the hallway ceiling� It
exhausts into the attic� The leaky louvers
provide a major path for air leakage to or
from the attic� If you have one of these big
fans and don’t use it, then seal it to reduce
air leakage and cover it from above with
blankets of insulation� Just make sure it
can’t be turned on!
36� The air conditioner’s thermostat is near
a source of heat� An uninsulated attic
hatch, for instance, can radiate heat onto
the hallway thermostat below� Remember,
small thermostat adjustments make a big
difference to your summer cooling costs� If
your system cools to 73º F instead of 78º
F, your cooling cost can increase by 60
percent�
37� The hallway wall behind the
thermostat is hot� In some older
homes, the hallway wall air conditioner’s
distribution fan pulls air down from the
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16 Causes of High Utility Bills
attic through that wall cavity whenever
the air conditioner runs� This tricks the
thermostat into calling for more and
more cooling� Finding the pathway
of air leakage and sealing it cures the
problem� Usually this involves stuffing
paper-backed insulation and/or spray
expanding caulk at the top of the hallway
wall cavities that open into the attic�
38� The eating area is heated by morning
or afternoon sun streaming through
a sliding glass door� This common
situation causes the customer to cool
the entire house to a lower temperature
in order to achieve acceptable comfort
levels at that spot� This can be costly�
39� A tree shading the house was
removed from the yard� This can
increase air conditioning costs up to 30
percent a year�
40� Air conditioning ductwork in a hot
attic is poorly insulated� Attic heat
transfers to the cool air moving through
the ducts� The AC system runs longer to
cool the house, and costs rise�
41� The air conditioner’s return air
plenum box, constructed of sheetrock,
is uninsulated, leaky and located in a
hot garage� This is fairly common and
increases costs�
42� All the components of the air
conditioning distribution system,
including the air handler, supply ducts
and a long return duct, are located in
a hot attic� Many older homes have air
conditioning systems configured this way�
The equipment and its air ducts gain
heat from the attic, causing the system to
run longer to cool the house�
43� The air conditioner’s wall-mounted
thermostat is not level� If you look
behind the cover plate of an old-style
thermostat, there are typically one or two
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17Causes of High Utility Bills
mercury-containing glass bulbs that tip
left or right as the temperature adjustment
lever is moved� When you adjust the lever
down for cooling, the bulb tilts, and a
small blob of mercury rolls over to make
an electrical connection� If the thermostat
is not level, the mercury rollover and
thermostat’s calibration are affected�
Level the thermostat easily using
adjustment screws behind the faceplate
or have it leveled during the unit’s next
professional servicing�
44� The house has a package-unit central
air conditioner at one end, long
supply and return ductwork beneath
the house and a garage converted
to an uninsulated TV / family room
at the farthest distance from the air
conditioner� A couple of ducts are
added to the air distribution system
to supply cool air to the new family
room� This is a recipe for high bills in
summer and even higher ones in winter�
The ductwork has the longest possible
run, both ways, to cool the room that
gets the most evening use� The walls
and ceiling of this former garage lack
insulation� The air conditioner’s delivery
fan is probably not powerful enough to
handle the additional area, and the add-
on ducts result in an imbalanced system
that no longer delivers the requisite
400 cubic-feet-per-minute (cfm) of air
across the air conditioner’s evaporator
coils (per ton of cooling capacity)� It all
adds up to high cooling and even higher
heating costs�
45� The air conditioning components are
mismatched� For example, a new, high
efficiency outdoor unit (the condenser) is
mismatched to the original, 15-year-old
indoor unit (the indoor fan and evapora-
tor coil)� The original copper refrigerant
lines connect the outdoor and indoor
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18 Causes of High Utility Bills
units� This results in low efficiency and
high operating costs� A new outdoor
condenser matched with an old indoor
fan / coil may cool the house but rarely
achieves the rated efficiency posted on
the new condenser�
46� A newly added room is hot, so the
customer lowers the thermostat
setting for the whole house� The
air supply duct in the attic for the new
room is laid out and connected to the
“boot” above the register, but it is never
connected into the main system� No
cooled air is delivered to the new room�
Instead, hot air enters from the attic�
Surprisingly, unconnected air ducts in
attics are common to find�
47� The ductwork boots behind the
registers are loose, or ducts under
the house have fallen off of the
register boots� In this case, the AC
system is cooling the crawl space�
A good tip: When you shine a flashlight
down into a floor register, you shouldn’t
see the earth under the house!
48� Flex duct in the attic is kinked,
pinched, folded or flattened,
restricting air supply to particular
rooms� The thermostat setting for the
whole house is lowered to compensate�
This common problem is especially
significant if the rooms having insufficient
air supply are the kitchen or family room�
49� The air delivery system includes some
length of panned floor joists, which
are leaky� The spaces between floor joists
are sometimes modified for use as return
air ducts� This cavity is made into a duct
by attaching sheet metal over the bottom
of the joists and by capping the ends
of the joist cavity� A leaky panned floor
joist draws in air from the crawl space or
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19Causes of High Utility Bills
basement� To remedy this problem, seal
with mastic or a comparable substance�
50� A floor register was closed by accident,
and the cooling temperature for the
entire house was lowered in order to
feel cool enough in that one room�
Floor registers are easily kicked shut� If
you’re not cool enough in a room that
was comfortable the previous summer,
check to make sure the air registers are
still open�
51� Ceiling fans run all day – even with
no one at home� Only run fans when
you’re there to feel the breeze� Fans cool
your skin but not the room� In a vacant
room, a fan’s energy is wasted�
52� The ceiling fans run backward,
breezing upward� They should breeze
downward, allowing you to feel the
breeze� Otherwise, it’s wasted energy�
53� A package-unit central air conditioner
was connected to a mobile home’s
existing furnace ductwork� In summer,
cool air that breezes from the furnace
feeds to a nearby return-air grill� This
causes poor air distribution and high
operating costs�
54� A stand-alone AC fan coil box under
the house was tapped into the supply
and return ductwork that originally
distributed heated air from an old oil
furnace� With no directional damper,
the air can recirculate in the ductwork
without much effect on the house above�
In summer, the air conditioner runs a long
time to accomplish very little cooling�
55� The “Takeback Effect�” This is also
known as “The Conservation Effect�”
or as “Jevons Paradox�” There’s an
occasional but well-documented human
tendency to follow-up home energy
efficiency improvements with lowered
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20 Causes of High Utility Bills
summer thermostat settings that “take
back” the potential energy savings�
56� The “Roommate Effect�” This happens
to college students in off-campus
housing� Each roommate has a different
level of thermal comfort and concern
for energy conservation� The energy
practices of the least concerned and
least conserving person often become
the norm for all roommates�
57� The central air-conditioning system
has an unknown filter that never gets
changed� Here’s how this can happen:
A customer finds a filter-backed grill
mounted in the hallway ceiling or low
on an interior wall� The grill has a hinge
and opens easily� It’s obviously designed
to hold a filter, and air is pulled through
it� Consequently, the customer places
a filter in it – not realizing that there is
already an air filter in the air handler a
few feet away� It’s hard on the system to
pull air through two filters like this� It gets
worse if one of the filters (like the one
at the air handler) is out of sight, never
changed and clogged shut with dust� Air
flow is restricted, operating costs rise and
equipment can become damaged�
To avoid the mechanical problems noted
above, have your central heating/cooling
system installed and serviced by a licensed,
qualified HVAC service professional�
58� A room, wing or extension was added
to the house, or a garage or porch
was enclosed� The overall cooling costs
go up� Larger homes cost more to heat
and cool�
59� Central heating thermostat setting is
too high� The rule for thermostat settings
in winter is: The lower the better� 68º F
is recommended� Lower the thermostat
overnight (to 65º F if you have a heat
pump or to 55º F if you have gas, oil or
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21Causes of High Utility Bills
electric strip heating)� Dress warmly� If you
heat your house to 75º F, expect high bills�
60� Central heating system duct leaks
and duct breaks� Leaks in the supply-air
ducts push warm air into the attic or into
the crawl space under the house� Leaks
in return ducts draw in cold air from the
attic or crawl space� Major duct leaks
and disconnections can double your
heating costs�
61� Clogged filters, overly thick filters,
two filters, clogged coils and
restricted airflow� Air flow restrictions
reduce equipment operating efficiency,
which causes higher operating costs and
can lead to other equipment problems�
62� The home is heated with 10,000,
15,000 or even 20,000 watts of
central electric resistance or strip
heat� Strip heating systems are cheap to
install but costly to operate� Winter after
winter, this is the most common cause of
acutely high electric bills in Tallahassee�
The strip-heat operating costs, based
on winter 2022-2023 electric rates and
applicable taxes, are as follows:
• 10,000 watts, typical in smaller
apartments: $1�24 per hour (nonstop
operation)�
• 15,000 watts, typical in larger
apartments, homes to about 1,500
square feet and many mobile homes:
$1�86 per hour (nonstop operation)�
• 20,000 watts, found in some larger
apartments, some homes from 1,000
to 2,000 square feet and some mobile
homes: $2�48 per hour (nonstop
operation)�
63� Heat pump thermostat accidentally
set to Emergency Heat� Set on
Emergency Heat, the energy-efficient
heat pump isn’t enabled� Only its 10,000
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22 Causes of High Utility Bills
or 15,000 watts of backup heat strips
are on� Operating cost doubles�
64� Heat pump stuck in defrost mode�
Stuck in defrost mode, the system heats
and cools simultaneously, heating with
backup strips� Operating cost triples�
65� Heat pump thermostat wired
incorrectly� When set to “HEAT”, it cools
at first, then heats with both the heat pump
and its backup strips� It could also heat-
and-cool simultaneously, heating with
backup strips� This sometimes happens
when a new heat pump is mismatched
to an old thermostat� Operating cost
doubles or triples�
66� Heat pump configured or wired so
that backup strips operate during
every heating cycle, or the heat pump
has an incompatible thermostat�
Similar to the above cause but in this
case whenever the heat pump operates,
its backup strips operate as well� The
customer feels warm but at twice the
normal operating cost�
67� Heat pump condenser failed, locked
out or shut off at the breaker panel�
The outdoor fan doesn’t spin� The
primary energy-efficient heat pump isn’t
functioning� Only the backup strips are
operating� Operating cost doubles�
Uncorrected, it can create high bills all
winter�
68� Heat pump defrost controls are faulty�
The unit switches to defrost mode every
five minutes or so� It shouldn’t defrost
so often� While in defrost mode, it heats
and cools simultaneously, heating with
expensive backup strips at triple the
usual operating cost�
69� Heat pump low on refrigerant or has
too much refrigerant� Either too much
or too little is a problem� The system runs
longer to provide adequate heat, and
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23Causes of High Utility Bills
costly electric strips come on more fre-
quently� Operating cost can double�
70� Heat pump backup electric strips
operate even when the thermostat is
set to “OFF�” Several causes have been
found, including accidental metal-to-
strip connections in the air handler� For
example, electrical connection made in
the air handler by a peel of metal foil off
the duct insulation� This can also occur in
10,000- to 20,000-watt central electric
strip heating systems that are not heat
pumps and results in an astonishingly
high electric bill� While uncommon, it
can be alarming when it happens�
71� Heat pump tripped its pressure/
temperature high-limit switch, so
only the backup electric strips are
used� Operating cost can double� This
is not a concern with most newer heat
pumps� Various causes include dirty fil-
ter, clogged evaporator coils behind the
filter and refrigerant over-charging� The
problem may begin at the first fall defrost
cycle and continue all winter undetected�
72� Two-story house with two heat
pumps: The upstairs heat pump fails,
and now the downstairs one works
longer in the winter� The functioning
downstairs heat pump will try to maintain
the temperature selected at its downstairs
thermostat� Because the system is
too small to heat the entire house on
colder days, it activates its backup heat
strips sooner, and strips operate longer�
Operating cost can almost double�
73� The gas furnace has a poor flame
adjustment� There is too much or too
little primary air (the air pre-mixed with
gas prior to combustion)� Operating cost
increases�
74� Gas furnace with insufficient
secondary air� The furnace operates
at lower efficiency if there is too little
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24 Causes of High Utility Bills
secondary air (air supplied to the burner
flame at the moment of combustion)�
75� Gas furnace is short-cycling� The
furnace operates in short, inefficient
bursts� This can be caused by equipment
oversizing or by problems with thermostat
location� Operating cost increases�
76� Multiple plug-in space heaters� For
about 19 cents per hour, a single plug-in,
1,500-watt electric space heater heats a
room quickly and effectively if you close
the door to keep the heat from escaping
to the rest of the house� The hourly cost
seems low, but it can add up, especially
where multiple heaters are used to heat
the entire house� Use plug-in electric
heaters cautiously�
Water Heaters
77� Hot water leaks� It may be hard to
determine if faucet leaks are hot or cold�
Here’s a common situation: The water
heater is located at one end of the house,
and there’s a leaky tub faucet at the far
end of the house� The leaking water
feels cold� Even though the water feels
cool, it could be hot water that cooled
as it flowed through the lengthy piping
system� Here are a few leak tests, in
order of ease:
• Tighten the hot side handle and see if
the leak diminishes�
• Put a screwdriver tip to the hot water
pipe where it exits the water heater
and press the handle end against your
ear; the sound of running (hot) water
is magnified�
• Feel the cold water supply pipe where
it enters the water heater; if no hot
water has been used in the previous
half hour, the cold pipe should feel
warm� (Heat from the water heater
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25Causes of High Utility Bills
conducts to that pipe and warms it)�
If the cold-water pipe is cold where it
approaches the water heater, and you
ran no hot water recently, there may
be a hot water leak� That pipe would
be cold because cold water is enter-
ing the tank (and cooling the inlet
pipe) to make up for hot water being
lost to a leak�
78� The water heater’s thermostat
malfunctions, the tank overheats,
tank pressure builds and the
pressure-and-temperature relief
valve opens to release a flood of
very hot water� The relief outlet pipe
could open under the house, where no
one sees it� In many cases, the pressure-
and-temperature valve simply fails, for
unknown reasons� When the valve fails,
hot water flows from the water heater 24
hours per day, leading to high electric,
water and sewer costs� In most single
family detached homes, the pressure /
temperature relief line from the water
heater emerges as a little down-spout
low on the back side of the house or
garage� If you find hot water plunging
from that spout, call a plumber�
79� The cats always nap on a particular
spot in the middle of the kitchen floor�
This clue can indicate that a hot water
leak under the slab is warming the spot�
80� The customer has a so-called
“combination appliance” or hydroheat
system that uses a powerful gas water
heater to heat the residence, as well
as the water, in winter� It should only
heat the house during the winter� It may
heat the house during the summer, too,
as a result of faulty valves, good valves
installed incorrectly or faulty electronic
controls� Summer electric and gas
costs both increase, and the electric
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26 Causes of High Utility Bills
air conditioning (cooling) cost typically
doubles� Higher than expected summer
gas cost is often a telling clue�
81� The small pump on a water heating
waste-heat-recovery unit runs
nonstop� It happens whether the air
conditioner is running or not and can
become very costly, especially if the
water heater is a long way from the air
conditioner’s outdoor condenser�
82� The water heater thermostats are set
too high� Each 10 degrees downward
adjustment cuts water heating energy
consumption by 3 to 5 percent� We
recommend setting the thermostat(s) at
115º - 120º F� If you have an electric
water heater, set both thermostats to
the same temperature� If you use a
dishwasher that has no booster heater,
set your water heater thermostats at
140º F� If your dishwater heats its own
water, you can lower your two water
heater thermostats to 120º F or less�
83� Water heater’s lower element burned
out� Electric water heaters typically have
two heating elements: upper and lower�
The lower element works longest and tends
to fail first� The result: The top element
heats only the top 1/3rd of the tank – the
water remains cool in the lower 2/3rds of
the tank� At first, the water is just as hot as
it was before, but it quickly runs out� If left
that way, operating costs actually go down�
If, however, the upper element’s thermostat
is dialed to a much higher temperature to
compensate, operating costs go up�
84� There’s hot water in the toilet� Rare
but memorable� Call a plumber�
85� Plumbing / pumping reversed on a
large solar water heating system�
Water was heated electrically in
80-gallon basement storage tanks, then
pumped backwards through the system
to cool at the rooftop, and returned to
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27Causes of High Utility Bills
reheat in basement tanks with continual
circulation� This is costly�
Pool Pumps
86� The customer has a swimming pool,
and the pool pump runs 24 hours a
day� The high cost of pool pumping is
a surprise� Many single-speed residential
pool pumps are 1�5 horsepower output�
Operated all day, every summer day,
the monthly energy cost is about $151;
operated continuously all year, the
annual energy cost is about $1,807� A
new variable-speed pool pump can save
enormously� EPA ENERGY STAR provides
a good operating cost/savings calculator
online, where you can compare single-
speed with variable-speed pool pump
operating costs� Even a timer for the
existing single-speed pool pump is well
worth the installed cost and usually pays
for itself through energy cost savings
within a few months�
The National Spa and Pool Institute
recommends that the pool be “turned
over” (one complete circulation of water)
once a day� Full turnover of a typical
20,000-gallon pool requires four hours
pumping at 85 gallons per minute, six
hours at 55 gallons per minute or eight
hours at 40 gallons per minute� Most pool
pump systems are sized to accomplish a
full turnover in four to six hours� With a
1�5 horsepower pump, pumping all year
for six hours a day instead of 24 hours
a day saves about $1,355 per year in
energy costs�
In the Attic
87� The ceiling lacks adequate insulation�
Heat from the attic is conducting through
to the house below� Improving ceiling
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28 Causes of High Utility Bills
insulation is one of the best investments
you can make toward lowering your air
conditioning costs during the summer�
The older your home, the more likely its
original level of insulation would now
be considered inadequate� Some older
homes have no insulation at all�
If you’re not sure how much insulation
you have, call 850-891-4968 for a free
home energy audit� City of Tallahassee
electric customers can participate in a
grant program that pays 80 percent of the
installed cost to add ceiling insulation,
up to a maximum City of Tallahassee
Utilities contribution of $400�
The insulation target level in this program
is R-38 (about 15 inches of blown white
fiberglass)� If your residence is heated
with electric-resistance strip heat, the
insulation target level is R-49 (about
20 inches of blown white fiberglass)�
This program is available to both home
owners and renters�
88� A rooftop power ventilating fan pulls
hot air from the attic on summer
days� The fan’s thermostatic control is set
too low (i�e�, 95º F instead of 115º F), so
the fan runs more than it should� The fan
motor itself is costly to run and eats up
any potential savings for having cooled
the attic� Moreover, most ceilings are
imperfectly sealed against air leakage
from house to attic� A fan pulling air
from an attic may also pull expensively
cooled air from the house into the attic�
Typically, well-insulated attics don’t need
power ventilation� Passive ventilation
devices such as high ridge, off-ridge,
turtle-back or gable vents, together
with low soffit vents, are adequate� The
optimum design is usually a ridge vent
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29Causes of High Utility Bills
(internally baffled so that rain doesn’t
bounce in) and soffit vents at the eaves�
Refrigerators and Freezers
89� The refrigerator that served for 20
years in the kitchen still works, and
now it’s in the garage� Garages get
very hot� Those old refrigerators are not
very energy efficient and can run almost
continuously in a hot environment�
The new refrigerator in your kitchen is
probably three or four times as energy
efficient as a very old model� For
instance, a new, 25-cubic-foot high-
efficiency refrigerator in the kitchen
costs about five or six dollars a month to
operate� An old, inefficient unit in a hot
garage can cost $25 to $50 a month in
the summer�
90� The refrigerator door won’t seal
when it’s shut, the door is askew
or the gasket is damaged� Cold air
loss occurs� Years ago, the standard
advice was to properly align the door
on its hinges and/or replace the gasket�
However, replacement gaskets now cost
$50 to $80, can be hard to find and may
not fit well�
If your refrigerator is 10 or 15 years
old and in poor condition, it’s probably
best to replace it with a new one rather
than undertake gasket repairs� Since
1993, new refrigerators are three times
(or more) as energy efficient as similar-
sized units 10 years earlier� Refrigerators
manufactured after 2001 are 30 percent
more efficient than those of 1993� A
new, 25-cubic-foot energy-efficient
refrigerator costs five or six dollars a
month to operate, whereas an older
model could cost up to 10 times as
much to operate�
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30 Causes of High Utility Bills
If you’re shopping for a new refrigerator,
consider an energy-efficient, ENERGY
STAR-qualified model and get a rebate
from the City of Tallahassee Utilities� Visit
Talgov�com/YOU for more information�
91� There is a refrigerator in the kitchen,
an older refrigerator in the pantry
and a freezer in the pantry� Costs rise�
If the newest refrigerator was manufac-
tured after July 2001, it’s far more en-
ergy efficient than older refrigerators or
freezers� Consolidate stored foods into
the newest unit, if possible�
Lighting
92� All the lights in the house are on� In
most homes, lighting only accounts for
about six percent of the annual electric
cost, but these costs can add up� Keep
up the habit of turning off lights when
you leave a room� And of course: Switch
To LED Lights!
93� Outdoor area lights are on
throughout the day� This is probably
caused by a bad photocell�
In the Laundry Room
94� Someone’s doing a lot of clothes
drying every day� This is done during the
heat of the day, with a dryer located in an
air-conditioned utility room, and the dryer
is vented to the outdoors� A clothes dryer
has a powerful fan that whips air past the
damp clothes at the rate of 150 to 200
cubic feet per minute (cfm)� In a 1,500
square foot house with 8-foot ceilings, a
200-cfm dryer can empty one house load
of air every 60 minutes�
In summer, that results in a lot of
expensively cooled house air being
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31Causes of High Utility Bills
heated by the dryer and blown out� Just
as bad, the lost house air will be replaced
by hot, damp outside air leaking in fast
wherever it can: through kitchen and
bathroom vents, fireplace vents and
dampers, windows and doors, recessed
ceiling light fixtures, electric plug and
light switch plates, etc� It’s best to locate
the dryer in an uncooled utility room or
garage�
95� The clothes dryer vent shoots lint
onto the air conditioner’s outdoor
condenser coils� The AC system, ham-
pered in its ability to release heat, runs
longer and longer�
96� The dryer vent hose or outdoor vent
flap is clogged with lint� It takes longer
and longer to dry a load of clothes� With
the vent clogged, the clothes get a hot,
damp tumbling; the dryer runs for a longer
time with poor results; and costs rise�
Other Appliances
97� Office in the home� Here’s the power
draw of some home office accessories:
Equipment TypeEquipment Type
Power Draw Power Draw
(Watts)(Watts)
Idle Active
Copier 6 400
Personal Computer 62 62
Video Monitor 62 62
Laser Printer 80 200
Totals 210 724
How much this costs depends on
activity levels�
98� A dehumidifier runs nonstop, draining
through a hose to the outdoors� The
basement area being dried is wide open
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32 Causes of High Utility Bills
to the outdoors� Dehumidifiers remove
water from the air just as an air conditioner
does, but a dehumidifier heats the room
in which it sits, like your refrigerator does�
For some homes, it reduces mildew�
Dehumidifiers all seem to have about the
same size pan for water collection but have
widely different rates of water removal� The
capacities are usually expressed as pints
of water removed in a 24-hour period at
some standard temperature and humidity�
A bigger dehumidifier, with a larger
compressor and higher operating cost per
minute of run time, removes water from
the air faster but generally less efficiently�
If you’re catching the water in the pan
underneath, you’ll need to empty it more
frequently to keep up� If you’re draining via
a hose, there’s no pan emptying necessary�
Be sure the area you’re attempting to dry
isn’t open to the outdoors� Also, be sure
the drain hose is routed to empty water
away from your house or into a drain�
Cooking
99� There’s a whole lot of cooking going
on� Meanwhile, the air conditioning runs
nonstop to cool the kitchen� To avoid
this, cook outside in the summer, eat
later in the evening or use a microwave
oven� A microwave oven cooks twice as
fast and doesn’t heat the kitchen�
Windows
100� Windows on the southwest or west
side of the home are fully exposed
to the setting sun� In newer Florida
homes, sunlight heating through windows
accounts for about 20 percent of the air
conditioning load� In older homes, it can
be as much as 30 percent� Use interior
shades, drapes or blinds to reduce heat
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33Causes of High Utility Bills
through windows by about 20 percent�
External shade (from trees, awnings and
sun screens) works even better�
Some newer, high-tech windows have
special tints or films that reduce the
amount of heat transmitted across the
window into the house� Most window
manufacturers now offer high-tech
windows with low E coatings� This is a
microscopically thin, virtually invisible,
metal or metallic oxide layer deposited
on a window�
In a double-paned window, the coated sur-
face may be either the outer side of the in-
ner glass or the inner side of the outer glass�
In Florida, the latter design works better�
The coating acts to suppress radiative
heat movement across the window by re-
flecting heat back into the home during
cold weather and back to the outdoors
during warm weather�
101� The house has awning or jalousie
windows designed for cross
ventilation� The house is closed up for
air conditioning� These window types
are notoriously leaky� In summer, the air
conditioner must toil to dry as well as
cool the air, and major air leaks cause
major cost increases�
102� Old casement or awning style
windows are deformed out of
alignment and will not seal shut�
Warm, moist air leaks in, or cooled air
leaks out, resulting in higher utility costs�
103� Windows lack inside shading devices
(shades, drapes or blinds), or these
devices are not adjusted properly�
Venetian blinds and other shading devices
are tremendously important� Use them to
block heat entry on summer days�
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34 Causes of High Utility Bills
104� Windows and doors are open while
the air conditioner runs�
105� Southwest sun exposure floods the
home with radiant heat in the fall�
Some homes have southwest windows
that are well shaded by overhangs through
the middle of the summer, when the sun
passes overhead� In the fall, afternoon
sunlight (radiant heat) pours in as the
sun’s path passes lower in the sky� Air
conditioning costs may soar unexpectedly
in late September and October�
In the Bathroom
106� Some of the worst water leaks are at
toilets� You can lose 100+ gallons every
day without knowing it� Listen carefully for
the faint, high whine of a toilet leak� Find
out if tightening the water supply shutoff
beneath the tank will stop the noise� You
can also put some food coloring in the
toilet tank� If the color appears in the
bowl without flushing, you have a leak�
Have you ever seen a toilet with a
mechanism that catches in mid-flush and
water rushes continuously out the drain?
If you ever discover a toilet in your home
that occasionally does this, don’t put off
having it repaired� It can flush hundreds
of dollars worth of water while you’re
away�
107� Bathroom power vents are left
running� This sends expensively cooled
air up the vent and to the outdoors�
Run these bathroom fans only as long
as needed to clear that one room of its
moisture� If the bathroom is 10 feet by 12
feet with an 8-foot ceiling, it only takes
19 minutes of fan operation to send out
one roomful of air�
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35Causes of High Utility Bills
Outside the Home
108� Dry periods typically occur in the
spring� Water bills can spike during
spring and fall droughts� Water bills rise
as a result of unnecessary lawn watering�
Excessive watering increases cost and
can harm the grass�
Here are a few tips:
• Water your lawn in the early morning
when the sun and wind are low� About
30 minutes of water twice a week is
all your lawn needs� Grass roots will
grow deeper, and less watering will be
needed over time�
• Remove weeds, which take up
precious water�
• Mow regularly, removing one-third of
the grass length� Leave clippings on
the lawn to help retain moisture�
109� Gardening and landscaping activities
increase water use� This may cost more
than expected�
110� Vines, bushes, tall grass, leaves,
litter or lawn chairs cover the air
conditioner’s outdoor condenser
unit� The heat can’t be released� Cooling
costs rise�
Weatherstripping
and Caulking
111� Doors need weatherstripping�
Weatherstripping prevents significant
air leakage� The crack around all four
edges of a standard door is 20 feet
long� If the crack is 1/12” wide, the total
“hole” size is 20 square inches, roughly
the equivalent of a softball-sized hole
in the door� If the house is negatively
pressured whenever the air conditioner
runs because of supply duct leakage,
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36 Causes of High Utility Bills
that size hole emits a lot of warm, moist
air for the air conditioner to cool and dry�
Choose from a wide variety of
weatherstripping materials at local
hardware stores and home supply centers�
You’ll often find good instructions there,
too, either from staff or how-to booklets�
112� Windows and doors need caulking�
Caulking prevents air leakage� This is
do-it-yourself work� Caulk is cheap�
Applying it is easy, but it takes time�
Caulk the cracks in and around window
and door frames; cracks where masonry
walls meet wood siding or trim; wall
penetrations by pipes, meter box, clothes
dryer vent or exhaust vents, etc� Some
all-purpose caulks are silicone, silicone-
acrylic and siliconized acrylic latex�
Miscellaneous Findings
113� A resident requires the use of
oxygen� Unfortunately, the energy cost
to run these compressor systems is
surprisingly high – about $35 per month
for continual use�
114� The resident’s City of Tallahassee
Utilities energy loan payment on
the utility bill makes the total bill
in summer higher than it was the
previous summer� New air conditioning
equipment almost never pays for itself
through energy savings in less than five
years� Since the term on energy loans is
five years and 80 percent of the loans
are for HVAC equipment, almost all
loan program participants are saving
less each month than the monthly loan
payment amount� After the fifth year, bills
are lower�
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37Causes of High Utility Bills
115� Teenagers can cause high bills in
the summer� As most parents know,
teens can use extraordinary amounts of
water and electricity for showering and
personal grooming� Small children, on
the other hand, require less energy and
are relatively comfortable in warmer
environments�
116� Relatives come to visit�
117� Kids come home from college�
118� Children are home from school�
119� While the family is away during
weekdays, a housekeeper works at the
house� He or she drops the summertime
thermostat setting to the low 70s�
120� College students living away from
home for the first time move into
an off-campus house or apartment
in August� Their second utility bill has
a way of getting high (the first billing is
often for a partial month)� A high bill
seems to relate to a whirlwind of initial
activity that happens to coincide with
brutally hot weather: moving in, cleaning,
entertaining, having doors open, setting
the thermostat too low, etc�
121� Someone other than the resident
pays the utility bill� Someone else
pays, maybe a parent living elsewhere,
and this leads to high electric usage and
high bills�
122� The residents left town for a summer
vacation and were expecting the next
utility bill to be low� The bill was high
because they left the air conditioner set
at 78º F and the unit ran a lot� It is best to
set the thermostat a few degrees higher
when away in summer� The AC will run
less oftern, but still reduce humidity, and
costs are lowered significantly�
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38 Index
Index
A
AC� See HVAC (Heat-
ing Ventilation and
Air Conditioning)
Air Conditioning�
See HVAC (Heat-
ing Ventilation and
Air Conditioning)
Air Filter� See HVAC
(Heating Ven-
tilation and Air
Conditioning)
Air Handler 9,
10, 16, 20, 23
Air Leaks 4, 33
Attic 16, 27
B
Bathroom 34
Bedroom 14
Breaker Panel 3, 22
C
Cat 25
Caulk 35
Ceiling Fan 5
Central Heating�
See HVAC (Heat-
ing Ventilation and
Air Conditioning)
Children 37
Clothes Dryer 4,
5, 12, 30, 36
Clothesline 4
Coils 8, 11, 12,
17, 21, 23, 31
College Students 37
Combination Ap-
pliance 11
Computer 31
Condenser 11, 12, 13,
17, 18, 22, 26, 31, 35
Cooking 3, 32
Copier 31
D
Defrost Mode�
See Heat Pump
Dehumidifier 31, 32
Dryer� See Clothes
Dryer
Duct 31
Ductwork 9
duct leaks 21
Dust 8, 20
E
Emergency Heat�
See Strip Heat
ENERGY STAR 30
Evaporator
Coils 8, 17, 23
F
Filter 4, 8, 9, 10, 20, 23
Fireplace 3, 13, 14, 31
Freezer 30
Furnace (HVAC) 3,
10, 19, 23
Short-Cycling 24
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39Index
G
Garage 13
Gas Furnace�
See Furnace
(HVAC)
H
Heat Pump 6,
8, 22, 23
defrost mode 22
Heat Strips 3,
6, 9, 22, 23
Hot Water 3,
24, 25, 26
HVAC (Heating
Ventilation and Air
Conditioning) 8, 9,
10, 11, 12, 13, 20, 36
AC 3, 4, 9, 11, 16,
18, 19, 31
air filter 8, 20
backup electric
strips 22
evaporator coils 8,
17, 23
thermostat 20, 22,
24
I
Insulation 10, 15,
16, 17, 23, 28
K
Kids 37
Kitchen 5, 18, 25,
29, 30, 31, 32
L
Lights 3, 5, 30
M
Microwave 5, 32
Mobile Home 10, 19
P
Package-Unit 17, 19
Printer 31
R
Radiant Heat 34
Refrigerant 11,
12, 17, 22
Refrigerator 3,
29, 30, 32
Relatives 37
S
SEER 10, 11
Short-Cycling 24
Space Heaters 24
Strip Heat
Emergency Heat 6,
21
Swimming Pool 27
T
Teenagers 37
Thermostat 3, 4, 6,
9, 13, 15, 17, 18,
20, 21, 22, 23,
24, 25, 26, 37
Toilets 34
Trees 16
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40 Index
V
Vacation 37
Video Monitor 31
W
Water Heating 13, 26
Water Leaks 3, 24, 34
Weatherstripping 4, 35, 36
Windows 32, 33, 34, 36
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