The 2012 Residential Energy Consumption Survey data from the Energy Information Administration has shown a 10% decline in household energy consumption dedicated to heating and air conditioning. This decrease is attributed partly to more efficient systems growing in popularity, and partly household practices like maintenance and AC repair. This consumption rate is expected to continue to decrease as more people are taking conscientious steps toward a more energy-efficient future.
You can easily calculate just how much your home’s air conditioning unit is costing you in monthly utility bills by following the steps outlined below.
SEER Rating
Your air conditioning unit has a set SEER rating. You can ask your heating and AC repair technician for more information about the SEER rating, but in summary, it’s a measure of its efficiency in terms of energy consumed versus the cooling effect produced. The higher the rating, the more efficient it is in energy consumption. Older models will have a rating of 6 or lower.
Heat Capacity
Heat capacity is measured in British Thermal Units-hour or BTU-h. This is a measure of how much heat the unit can process. Higher capacity units tend to have higher rates of consumption but can cool much larger spaces. You can find this information in your product manual or on the manufacturer’s website.
Hourly and Monthly Calculation
To get started, divide your AC unit’s heat capacity by its SEER rating. You can consult with an AC repair professional for help in determining your unit’s numbers. As an example, if your unit has a capacity of 27,000 BTUh and a SEER rating of 7, then it would use 3,857 watts per hour.
Multiply this number by the number of hours your AC runs in a day and then by the number of days in a month to get your monthly rate. 3587 watts multiplied by 8 hours a day, multiplied by 30 days in a month would give 925,714 watts/month or alternatively, 925 kilowatts/month.
Finally, simply multiply this with your energy rates and you will get a rough estimate of how much your AC costs you monthly.
Cost-Effective Heating and Air Conditioning: Mighty Serv
You can learn more about your heating and air conditioning system, their ratings, energy consumption, and monthly costs by giving MightyServ a call at (818) 348-4768. Our experts are ready to answer your questions and help you out. We cover all of Woodland Hills, CA and nearby areas.
