KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As high temperatures continue to hit the Kansas City area, experts are offering tips to save on your energy bill.
Rocky Florez, with Elite Heating and AC, says it starts with keeping your outdoor air conditioning units clean.
On Tuesday, KSHB 41 News we caught up Florez on repair calls as he was busy hosing down AC units.
“I mean, it’s been nonstop all hours of the day," Florez said. "[At] Two or three o’clock in the morning, we will get text messages or phone calls from customers needing assistance."
Florez says on AC unit repair calls, he notices most of the issues come from those that are full of dirt and debris.
“A lot of people think that the filter; all it does is catch dirt, but it does a lot more," Florez said. "The cleaner that filter is on your furnace, the faster it can circulate the air and get the humidity out and in turn, get it a lot cooler, which saves you a lot of money on your electricity bill."
Florez explained how to properly clean the unit.
He said taking a simple water hose and washing down the unit can go a long way.
“Just say for instance, this is the side of your condensing coils, what you want to do is start at the top of the hose and work your way down to get all that pollen and dirt to come off of the unit itself,” Florez said.
It's a simple task that Florez says can make it easier on the technician to identify the problem when you call for service.
“Then they can check the freon levels and make sure the freon is topped off like it needs to be," Florez said. "If the freon is too low, then it's not going to cool your house fast enough and the unit will run and run and run, and your electrical bill will just go through the roof."
Jennifer Newbold, with Independence Power and Light, agrees, but suggests keeping fans running inside your home.
“If you have a programmable thermostat, we recommend using those," Newbold said. "Otherwise, we recommend you increase that temperature. Keep those fans running so that you still feel the cool air moving through the home."
Newbold also said it's important to watch what appliances you use and when.
“So during the day, especially during the heat of the day, make sure you're not running your oven or running your dryers,” Newbold said. ”Use smaller appliances like air fryers and microwaves."
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