Tips to Lower That Heating Bill!
Key Takeaways
- The "Aux Heat" Trap: Leaving your thermostat on "Emergency Heat" can double your bill.
- The Filter Effect: A $10 dirty filter can cost you $100 in wasted electricity.
- The 12-Year Rule: Systems older than 12 years lose efficiency rapidly in freezing temps.
- The Fix: Simple DIY adjustments and professional maintenance can drop bills by up to 20%.
It happens every year. The holidays end, the decorations come down, and then it arrives in the mailbox: The January Energy Bill.
For many Bastrop and Lee County homeowners, seeing that number triggers instant panic. "How did we use this much electricity? We kept the thermostat at 68!"
If your heating bill is significantly higher than last year—or if it just feels wrong—your HVAC system is trying to tell you something. Here are the 5 most common reasons your heater is draining your wallet, and exactly how to fix them.
1. The "Emergency Heat" Trap (Read This If You Have a Heat Pump)
This is the #1 culprit for high winter electric bills in Central Texas.
If you have a heat pump, your thermostat likely has a setting labeled "Em Heat" or "Aux Heat."
- What it is: This turns on electric resistance heat strips (like a giant toaster) to warm your home. It uses massive amounts of electricity.
- The Mistake: Many homeowners switch this on thinking it means "Fast Heat" or "It's Cold Outside."
- The Cost: Running Emergency Heat constantly can cost 2x to 3x more than running your heat pump normally.
The Fix: Check your thermostat right now. Ensure it is set to "Heat," not "Em Heat." Only use Emergency Heat if your outside unit is physically broken or covered in a solid block of ice.
2. Your Air Filter is Suffocating Your System
It sounds too simple to be true, but a dirty air filter is a financial disaster.
When your filter is clogged with dust, pet dander, and holiday glitter, your furnace blower has to work twice as hard to pull air through. This drives up your energy usage and can cause your furnace to overheat and shut down (short-cycling).
The Fix: Change your filter every 30-90 days. If you haven't changed it since the first cold snap in November, do it today.
3. Your Home has "Micro-Drafts"
You might not leave the front door open, but your home could still be leaking heat. In older homes in Giddings and Bastrop, heat naturally rises and escapes through poorly insulated attics, while cold air seeps in through gaps around windows and doors.
Your heater runs longer to replace that lost heat, spinning your electric meter faster.
The Fix:
- Check the weatherstripping around your doors.
- Lock your windows (this pulls the sashes tight).
- Consider an HVAC tune-up where a tech can inspect your ductwork for leaks.
4. You Are Ignoring the "Warning Signs"
Is your heater making a rattling noise? Is it running for 45 minutes straight just to raise the temperature one degree?
A struggling system is an inefficient system. If a part is failing (like a blower motor or capacitor), the unit consumes more power to compensate. Ignoring these noises doesn't just risk a breakdown; it guarantees a higher bill.
The Fix: If your system is loud or struggling, schedule a heating repair diagnostic. Fixing a small part now is cheaper than paying the "inefficiency tax" all winter.
5. The "12-Year" Efficiency Drop-Off
If your furnace or heat pump was installed before 2012, it is living on borrowed time.
Older units were rated with lower SEER and AFUE (efficiency) scores to begin with. Over a decade of Texas heat and freezes, their efficiency degrades further. You might be paying 30% more to heat your home simply because your technology is outdated.
The Fix: Compare your recent repair costs and energy bills against the cost of a new, high-efficiency system. With current federal tax credits, upgrading might actually put money back in your pocket.
The Verdict: Don't Pay for Wasted Energy
You shouldn't have to choose between a warm house and a reasonable bank account.
If you have checked your filter and thermostat settings but your bill is still skyrocketing, let us help. We can perform a comprehensive system check to find the energy vampire in your attic.
Start Saving Today.
Schedule Your Heating Check-Up Online or call Centex Air & Heat at 512-303-6060.
