We Asked, You Vented: Utility Bills Have Us Hot Under the Collar

Service Experts Tunes In to Help You Tune-Up

DALLAS (April 11, 2012) — A new survey confirms that homeowners are paying more for utility bills and feeling high levels of stress as a result. And with 39 percent of homeowners reporting their highest utility bills in June, July and August, that doesn’t set the stage for an easy-going summer season.

Service Experts Heating and Air Conditioning recently posted five questions about utility bills on their Facebook page and received more than a thousand responses from across the country. Service Experts found:

·         56 percent of respondants spend between $100-$299 on their monthly utility bills, with 26 percent spending between $300-$499 – and 9 percent spending more than $500 monthly;

·         71 percent report an increase in their utility bill in the past year;

·         39 percent say their highest bills come in June, July and August; 57 percent said December, January and February are their costliest months;  

·         on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most stress, 50 percent report stress levels from seven to 10 when opening their utility bills; (specifically, 15 percent rated their stress as seven, 16 percent gave it an eight, six percent came in at nine and 13 percent maxed out at 10);

·         if homeowners could save $1,000 a year on their utility bills, almost half (47 percent) would simply stare at the money because it has been a while since they saw that much cash; 14 percent would buy two iPads, 12 percent would go for the big screen TV and only one percent would pack for Vegas.  

THE GOOD NEWS

The good news is that an air conditioning tune-up and use of a programmable thermostat can cut summer utility bills by as much as 30 percent. Service Experts technicians perform more than 110,000 heating and cooling Precision™ Tune-Ups annually, and they report the three most common air conditioner problems are: 1) dirty or clogged coils; 2) poor cooling due to low refrigerant from system leaks; and 3) electrical component failures (which can sometimes be caused by insects.)

Utility Bills Keep Homeowners Hot Under The Collar

“The common results of these problems are poor cooling and excessive energy costs, but there are other issues as well,” said Dave Moody, Director, Field Marketing for Service Experts. “The home can feel damp due to poor humidity control, and the homeowner could face more costly repair or replacement bills if the system isn’t repaired. Also, when a system leaks refrigerant, most commonly called Freon, that has environmental implications.”

Moody added that the average life of an air conditioning system is 12 to 15 years.  “Like a car, regular maintenance can significantly prolong the life of the equipment and keep it running efficiently.  An annual air conditioning tune-up could save hundreds of dollars for the average homeowner.”

  In addition to a professional tune-up, homeowners can help the air conditioning system keep its cool by changing indoor air filters at least every three months, keeping all air registers open and un-restricted and keeping brush and vegetation away from the outdoor unit.

Through May 5, Service Experts is offering consumers the chance to save $50 off the cost of a Precision Tune-Up (average cost $129) just by downloading a coupon at www.serviceexperts.com/5050. At the same time, consumers can enter to win one of 50 $1,000 gift cards to be used toward the purchase of new, premium-brand high-efficiency heating and air conditioning systems.

Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning, based in Dallas, Texas, is North America's largest heating and air conditioning brand, with over 108 locations serving more than 2,100 homes and businesses per day. Service Experts branches provide heating repair, air conditioning repair, indoor air quality sales, HVAC system sales and installation, HVAC maintenance, and HVAC repair service for both the residential and commercial HVAC markets. Find Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning at on.fb.me/serviceexperts or at ServiceExperts.com.