Is Your AC Ready for the Rate Hike?

Is Your AC Ready for the Rate Hike?

10 million California customers will face higher electricity rates but Econo West Heating Air & Plumbing can help you save.

Is Your AC Ready for the Rate Hike?Earlier this month, the Public Utilities Commission approved a plan that will change electricity rates for roughly 10 million customers, or 75 percent of California residents.

The plan, which is the first overhaul of the rate system since rolling brownouts plagued the state about 15 years ago, will return rates to a two-tier system and, officials say, make prices more fair for everyone.

Under the current rate plan, higher-use households pay higher rates, actually subsidizing electricity costs for lower-use customers. Environmental advocates are happy about this setup, because they believe it encourages energy conservation among customers who are motivated to stay in a lower usage tier in order to save on their energy costs.

Unfortunately, under the current rate plan some low-use households are actually getting their electricity for less than the cost of production, which the PUC doesn’t believe makes sense. By adopting the new plan, the PUC says that though rates will rise for lower-use households, more fairness will be enjoyed by all. There will be a surcharge for the highest electricity users, which should provide some incentive for conservation among the worst energy-guzzlers.

If you are concerned that your electricity rates may rise as a result of this new rate structure, now is the time to assess your home’s electricity consumption and identify possible improvements you could make to save energy.

Start with Your Air Conditioner to Save on Energy Bills

Considering that American homeowners spend $11 billion each year on air conditioning, your home’s ac system should be a natural place to start when looking for energy savings. Here are some important ways Econo West Heating Air & Plumbing can help you save:

  • AC Installation Adjustment: You’d be surprised just how often we find that sloppy air conditioner installation is unnecessarily increasing homeowners’ cooling costs. Our technicians are highly trained and experienced in proper ac installation, and we can check your system for errors and make sure everything is set up to the manufacturer’s standards.
  • AC Service: If you’ve been skipping your routine air conditioner maintenance, your air conditioner’s efficiency has almost certainly declined significantly. Even something as simple as changing your ac filters can help improve performance and energy efficiency. During a routine maintenance visit, we can also check for and correct other issues that might be compromising your efficiency, like low coolant or blower issues.
  • Duct Sealing: Leaky air ducts can make it impossible to keep your house cool as well as increase your energy bills. Let our expert technicians inspect and seal your ducts to prevent costly air loss.
  • Programmable Thermostats: One final service we can provide to help you save on your cooling costs is to install a programmable thermostat for you. The latest generation of programmable thermostats give you precision control overcooling and help eliminate waste.

Schedule Your Service Visit Now

To get help from an expert AC technician from Econo West Heating Air & Plumbing, all you have to do is call (661) 947-2653.

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