LOWERING YOUR ELECTRIC BILLS is on everybody’s mind these days. The energy crisis in California will probably be with us through out the summer. Follow some of the simple suggestions below to help lower your energy bills:

• Turn off VCRs when not in use
• Turn off stereos when not in use
• Unplug clocks, radios, can openers, etc., if they are not being used
• Turn off your computer, when done
• Programmable Thermostats help maintain constant indoor temperature, and can be set to a comfortable higher temperature.  Remember, coming home from work and your house is 90 degrees, DO NOT turn on your A/C at a low setting and expect your home to immediately get cooler. It will not work. Your A/C works best when set at a higher temperature and left to maintain at the level. If you turn it down low it will take a long time (into the night before you will reach a moderate temperature, and then most people forget and leave it on all night, therefore using much more electricity and energy dollars, and running the risk of icing up your compressor
• Check door seals on your refrigerator.  Refrigerators use more power than any other appliance in the home
• Vacuum coils on the back of your refrigerator, occasionally, this will help your refrigerator to run more efficiently
• Turn off lights when not in use (How many times have our parents told us this!)
• Fluorescent lighting is much more energy efficient than regular bulbs, and lasts up to 10 times longer
• If your heating and air conditioning equipment is more than 10 years old, consider replacement. Energy Star equipment will not only reduce your energy costs, but will improve the indoor air quality, as well as, increase the value of your home
• Higher SEER Ratings (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating) on air conditioning will save energy dollars (Residential Air Conditioning)
• Double and triple paned windows help insulate form cold and heat, again helping your home maintain adequate indoor temperature
• Caulk gaps and cracks where air can escape
• Install weather-stripping around doors and windows that don’t seal properly
• Make sure ductwork is sealed properly. Air gaps will allow for heat to escape in the winter, and cold air to escape in the summer, thus your heating and cooling units are running longer to maintain the set point on your thermostat. This leads to more energy costs to you. Check ducting where it has been put together, wyes and collars, wrap with duct tape or screw together if they are falling apart or contact a reputable heating and air conditioning contractor to do this for you
• Check to see if your ductwork is wrapped with insulation. Some older homes have hard pipe ducting, and the air temperature does not hold, especially if the ductwork is under your home. It takes on the cold from the winter nights as you try to pass hot air through it and does not heat the home appropriately, costing the consumer energy dollars and low efficiency. During the summer it takes on the heat, and the cold air from your air conditioning becomes luke warm. The heating and cooling system will run continuously to try to reach the set point, and cost excessive energy dollars
• Routine Preventive Maintenance on your heating and air conditioning equipment is very important to maintain energy. Clean filters will allow better air flow from your equipment and allow the components of your equipment to run more efficiently
• Electronic Air Cleaners will capture 99% more of the dust, pollen and particles from the air that passes through it, than regular disposable filters. It captures the grime that accumulates on your coils. Analysis shows that keeping your conditioning coils cleaner could save 10% to 15% in operating costs over the lifetime of the system. EACs use less electricity than a 40 watt light bulb, and that is only when the blower motor on your furnace is running

• How Much Are You Willing to Spend? A new furnace installation can cost anywhere between $1,000 and $3,500, depending upon the complexity of your specific installation. High efficiency models might cost an additional $500 to $1,000 for the added efficiency. If your family has high annual heating bills, a higher efficiency furnace is going to make more economic sense than it would for a family that has very small heating bills. So when determining how efficient a furnace to buy, take into account what you are spending on your annual energy bills. If you are going to be in your home for a period of time that would justify this additional expense, it makes sense to install the highest efficiency furnace that you can afford. A new high efficiency furnace may also increase the resale value of your home.
  
  Other factors that determine your annual heating cost are:
• The size of your home
• How well your home is insulated
• The draftiness of your home
• The amount of leaks in your ductwork
• The temperature at which you keep your home during the winter season
• The number and type, or efficiency level, of windows you have in your home 
  
  If all else fails – To Stay Cool, Buy A Pool – or – call ASCO Service, Inc. for all of your heating and air conditioning needs. We look forward to hearing from you soon. Call  Toll Free (800) 542-2726.
  

  Gilroy :  ( 408 ) 846-6499
  Morgan Hill : ( 408 ) 779-6371
  Hollister :  ( 831 ) 636-2726