I noticed a spike in my energy bills in the past four months.
I was very concerned since I had not changed anything in my routine nor had I bought new appliances.
I decided to do an internet search on energy saving tips. I came across a home services website that had heat and AC products and one thing that caught my eye was that a malfunctioning or broken furnace could cause a rise in energy bills. I had postponed calling a heating contractor to schedule a heating tune up so I decided to make the long-overdue call. The professionals came two days later and did a thorough check-up, especially on the electric heat pump. They informed me that the furnace/heater installation was botched, the furnace filter needed replacement and a heat pump repair was also required. I made further inquiries with them about what more I could do to save energy now that the heating industry has advanced in recent years. They suggested having a zone-controlled HVAC installed in my home which would go well with the digital thermostat that was already installed. The only issue with this is that the initial cost of having this system installed will be high but in the long term it would save a lot of energy and cost. After a month, I had an HVAC serviceman come in and install this new system. I had also requested a portable gas heater to use in the new screened gazebo that I recently built in my backyard. Six months later I am very happy because my energy costs have decreased and my home is a much more comfortable place. I am very particular about the kind of appliances that I add to my home as I want to keep the utility bills low.