A new year is a good time to revisit your home comfort habits. Total Comfort Solutions Heating & Air Conditioning — family-owned and locally trusted since 1976 — shares five practical HVAC resolutions that can lower your energy bills and extend the life of your equipment.
Energy-Efficient HVAC Resolutions for the New Year
1. Get Intentional About Thermostat Settings
For heating, 68 degrees when you are home and active is a widely recommended baseline. Dropping to around 58 degrees when you are away or sleeping makes a meaningful difference in energy use without sacrificing real comfort. For cooling season, 78 degrees when home and 85 degrees when away is the equivalent target. A programmable or smart thermostat handles these adjustments automatically — you set it once and forget it.
2. Commit to Regular Professional Maintenance
One tune-up per system per year is a straightforward commitment with a measurable return. Schedule heating maintenance in fall and cooling maintenance in spring. A maintained system runs more efficiently, lasts longer, and is far less likely to fail during a stretch of extreme weather when you need it most.
3. Stay on Top of Air Filters
Replacing or cleaning air filters every three months is a general guideline. Homes with pets, more occupants, or anyone with allergies may need changes more frequently. A clogged filter makes your system work harder to move the same amount of air — which shows up in your energy bill and accumulates wear on the blower motor and other components.
4. Consider a Smart Thermostat
If you are still using a manual thermostat, the upgrade pays for itself quickly in most homes. Learning models like the Nest track your patterns and adjust automatically. Wi-Fi-connected models let you control temperature remotely — useful when your schedule is unpredictable or you want to turn the heat down before leaving for a trip.
5. Take an Honest Look at Your Equipment
If your system is more than 15 years old, the new year is a good time for an efficiency evaluation. Systems installed more than a decade ago were built to lower efficiency standards than what is available today. Even a system that appears to be running fine may be performing well below its rated capacity — and well below what a modern replacement would deliver. A conversation with a Total Comfort Solutions technician can give you an honest picture of where your equipment stands.
Total Comfort Solutions Heating & Air Conditioning serves homeowners throughout Bucks and Montgomery Counties. Call us at (215) 323-5330 to schedule service or discuss equipment options.