If you notice on your bills that you are using more gas and electric power than in previous months, it might be time to upgrade your HVAC system. High-tech heating and cooling could save you money.

Programmable Smart Thermostats

A programmable thermostat allows you to schedule heating and cooling system run times. Nowadays, they connect to smart home technologies. You can program them using phone, tablet or computer apps.

The Nest thermostat, for instance, offers you numerous energy-saving features:

• Auto-adjust – It only takes about a week to train the Nest thermostat to adjust temperatures. If you forget to manually set it, the system will use your preferred settings upon sensing that you’re not home.
• Humidity detection – It measures humidity levels and decides when to run the air conditioner.
• Automated climate control – An intuitive temperature setting happens based on outdoor weather and indoor conditions.
• Wi-Fi enabled – Operate your thermostat on a mobile device while away from home.
• Efficiency history – You will always have records of how your HVAC performed at specific settings.
• Usage monitoring – It knows how much energy you consumed in the past and the present.

The U.S. Department of Energy mentions smart thermostats when they describe available high-efficiency HVAC equipment. Using a combination of energy-efficient heating and cooling components reduces energy bills by 10-30 percent. Proper installation maximizes efficiency.

Geothermal Heat Pumps

Although first developed in the 1940s, many homeowners didn’t realize the benefits of geothermal heat pumps until now. This high-tech HVAC unit feeds off energy extracted from the earth.

The geothermal power source flows through a looped pipe stored underground and carries absorbed heat into a home. It also produces hot water, which can cut down on home heating costs. These heat pumps also work in reverse for cooling, so you can even use them to blow cool air into your home. New models for 2021 and beyond are listed as Energy Star approved.

More Heating and Cooling Technologies

Some of the latest HVAC technologies might require further testing. However, you do have numerous options for conserving energy and reducing heating and cooling expenses.

Harnessing solar power and connecting it to a smart home HVAC system also will benefit you. It also works well for charging batteries you can store for emergency use. You may even be able to run a thermostat that recognizes when solar power can be used.

Dual-fuel heat pumps also seem to make a difference. They typically start running using gas but switch to electric operation after about 35 degrees.

You can improve your home's energy efficiency. Talk to Guaranteed Heating & Cooling today to find out how.