PhotoSpin image

A day after a judge ruled to allow APS to raise rates on electric bills of Arizona homeowners, the utility is helpfully sharing some tips to lower heating costs, courtesy of Chas Roberts Air Conditioning and Heating:

Be Ready - Winter is on Its Way
Follow these easy tips to lower your heating bill this season

Phoenix, Ariz. - With temperatures already dipping into the 50’s and 60’s, Arizona’s winter will be here soon. Do you have the information you need to lower your heating costs this winter? In this challenging economy, it’s more important than ever to do everything you can achieve a lower heating bill. Here’s a list of easy tips to be safe and save money:

1. Clean filters - The most important thing you can do for a lower heating bill is to clean and replace your filters frequently. For optimum efficiency and filtration, replace disposable filters at least once a month. (source: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=heat_cool.pr_hvac)

2. Check it - Before you turn on the heat, have the system checked by a trained technician like those at Chas Roberts Air Conditioning and Heating. Regular maintenance is the most effective way to ensure a unit is running efficiently and safely, and offers the best opportunity for extending its life to ultimately lower your heating costs. (source: http://www.airconditioning-and-heating.com/maintenance-repairs-ac-hvac.php)

3. Turn down the heat - Set thermostats two degrees cooler in the winter and two degrees warmer in the summer to save costs. Every degree that you lower your thermostat in the winter (or raise it in the summer), can result in a three percent savings in energy costs. (source: http://blogs.consumerreports.org/home/2008/10/winter-heating.html?EXTKEY=I72RSHA)

4. Install a programmable thermostat - Keeping the thermostat low when you aren’t home and at night can help lower your heating bills. Avoid lowering it more than five degrees so the system doesn’t have to work so hard to return to your desired setting. A programmable thermostat can make it easy. (source: http://financialplan.about.com/od/savingmoney/a/HeatingCosts.htm)

5. Get the air moving - Using a ceiling fan in the winter can help lower heating costs by 10 percent. Because heat rises, the temperature near the ceiling is warmer. Using a ceiling fan in a clockwise direction so it gently pushes the air against the ceiling and down the walls helps circulate the warm air. (source: http://www.srpnet.com/energy/ask/fans.aspx)

Chas Roberts creates comfortable living environments for Arizona homeowners by providing quality installations and service of heating & air conditioning systems at competitive prices. Chas and Alice Roberts founded Chas Roberts Air Conditioning in 1942 and the business has been family owned and operated since day one. Today Chas Roberts, the largest HVAC provider in the state with eight locations including Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Queen Creek, Litchfield, Avondale, Sun City and Tucson, passes along its buying power to homeowners and backs its service with highly trained personnel and on-line scheduling capabilities. For more information, visit www.ChasRoberts.com.