Homeowners: Be Prepared To Pay More For Utilities This Summer

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The Logan Services Podcast: Season 1, Episode 1 ~ Keeping your Cool, while Utilities and Temperatures are on the Rise

Tahylor:  I had just finished work for the day.  I got done packing all my things, and I was heading out the door when my supervisor asked if I had heard the news?

CHANNEL  2 WDTNTV CLIP, Brooke Moore:  NEW INFORMATION ON A RATE INCREASE FOR AES OHIO.  STARTING NEXT MONTH, RATES ARE GOING UP .6 CENTS PER KW/H OR A $60 INCREASE PER MONTH.

Tahylor:  Your ears weren't deceiving you, if you are an AES Ohio customer, your rates will be going up. The spokesperson for AES Ohio, Mary Ann Kabel, said that the changes were occurring due to the situation in Ukraine, inflation, price of natural gas and market conditions.  This is a huge pill to swallow especially because most Ohioans are already affected by the rise of inflation.

ABC News, Rebecca Jarvis:  “Today’s report from the government is expected to show that America’s 40-year high inflation has already peaked.”

ABC News, President Biden:  “I know families all across America are hurting because of inflation”

ABC News, Justin Finch:  If you look at prices across the board, food prices have now been up for 17 consecutive months, up 9.4 percent from a year ago.  Energy prices came down a bit, but they're still up 30.3 percent from a year ago.  Shelter costs up 5.1percent that is rents, the cost of housing.

Tahylor:  And now for AES customers, our electric bill.  This even affects some of us at Logan Services.

Mindy:  I personally have AES.

Tahylor:  This is Mindy.

Mindy:  And my home does not have gas, natural gas, available to it, so I am inclusively electric so my bill is kind of double of what you would see in a normal gas and electric home.  So it’s going to impact me personally quite a bit.

Tahylor:  And Bret, another member of the Logan Services, has also been seeing the news from his phone too

Bret:  My tv.  My neighbors were talking about it, so it’s a real thing and it will be here unfortunately before we know it.”

Tahylor:  I’m not a homeowner, but this change is also going to affect me.  Amanda isn’t an AES customer, but she perfectly sums up what is happening to those of us who are

Amanda:  ANY time utility rates are raised, any time you have to pay more for anything: a gallon of milk, your utilities, your home improvement costs: it hurts! It hurts your pocketbooks, it hurts your lifestyle, and the way that you’re used to doing things. It’s not often easy to budget for something that hits you less then 30 days from now.

Tahylor:  And from the time this podcast airs, we’ll have 13 days to prepare before the changes go into effect on June 1st. Although this all seems scary, there’s no need to go into a full panic attack, because I’m here to give you some tips on how to keep your electric rates down, to combat the rise in rates. This is the Logan Services Podcast, and I am your host: Tahylor Cryer

Logan Services Theme Music

Tahylor:  In the beginning of the podcast, we discussed how AES Ohio would be raising their rates starting June 1st, and to share multiple ways to save, I’ve brought in 4 Logan Services experts!  Bret, a technician who has been with the company for 15 years. When a heating or air conditioner

Bret:  Breaks or needs maintenance, I’m the one they send out.

Tahylor:  Mindy

Mindy:  I arrange the schedules for the system replacements

Tahylor:  Chris, who is an install supervisor.  He deals with

Chris:  Everything install

Tahylor:  And lastly, Amanda

Amanda:  I’m the marketing director at Logan AC and Heat Services

Tahylor:   All four of our experts told me that the biggest way to save on your electric bill would be to make sure your heating and cooling units run efficiently. Take it from Bret:

Bret:  Obviously make sure your piece of equipment, your air conditioning is working up to speed and it’s as efficient as it can be.

Tahylor:  Now, why exactly should homeowners care about the efficiency of their units? Mindy tells us more:

Mindy:  Well, studies tell us our heating and air systems account for about 40, anywhere from 40 to 55% of the electric usage in our home.

Tahylor:  40% to 50%? That’s half of our electric bill.

Mindy:  So it’s very important if you have an older system to investigate, perhaps replacing it with a newer, higher efficient system that does not use as much electricity.  That’s one of the largest ways to be able to save money on your bills.

Tahylor:  This is Because efficiency issues with your HVAC system can oftentimes lead to higher utility usage.  So how exactly do you know if your unit is running efficiently?  Well, age is a very important factor.  As Bret tells us:

Bret:  Well, I mean, obviously the age of it’s very important. As they get older, they do have a tendency to act up and break down.  So the age. The fact of once it’s out of warranty, repairs are very expansive. So that’s something that you would find probably benefit them, putting that repair money towards a new one.  And then code requirements do change over time.  The efficiency, the minimal efficiency allowed in any residential application will increase.  So, you know, those are all things would lead you towards replacement.

Tahylor:  And getting a new air conditioning unit will also help keep the humanity out your home.  Because as we say here at Logan Services, it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.  A new high-efficient air conditioner is built to eliminate summertime humidity by controlling airflow. A newer air conditioner is going to move air slower over the evaporator coil allowing the system to wring out more humidity from the indoor air. This will make your home feel more comfortable.   This even happened for a customer Chris was working for one day.

Chris:  This was a family of four. And they were after we got done, they had dropped the humidity down had dried the house out so much that they actually kept their air conditioning set at 78. And everybody was comfortable.

Tahylor:  Now if homeowners already have a new system. What can they do to lower their rates?

Mindy:  Sure, for those who already have a more updated system that’s been replaced within the last 5 or so years, their existing systems need to be maintained by tune-up annually or at minimum bi-annually.  We have a high percentage of cottonwood trees in the Dayton area here, in Columbus and Cincinnati, so that fuzz as it’s flying through the air likes to stick to your air conditioner outside.  And when there’s debris around your ac, it can’t breathe right.  We recommend that you have a professional come out and clean it, and keep it operating in its tip-top shape!

Tahylor:  Now if homeowners already have a newer system. What can they do to lower their rates?

Amanda:  Really take into consideration no cost or low cost ways of keeping your home cool.

Tahylor:  These are things that cost little to no money to do! Here are some no cost/low cost tips from our experts:

Amanda:  If you can keep drapes and blinds closed.

Chris:  Make sure your doors aren’t leaking.  Of course, windows closed.

Mindy:  Also, changing your furnace filter regularly every 30 days is very, very important to keep the air clean in your home as well. And helps keep that whole system operating at it’s peak performance.

Bret:  Keeping the outdoor unit clear of any debris. That’s always a plus.

Amanda:  If you can remind your kudos to shut the door when they go outside to play.

Chris:  Definitely try to do more most of the cooking outside, or course cold foods or something like that.

Tahylor:  Thank you experts for all these amazing tips!  Let’s review what we’ve learned today!  Number 1: Make sure your heating and cooling units are working efficiently!  If your system is more than 15 years old, you should consider replacing it.  If you already have a new system, make sure to get a seasonal tune-up, so that your ac is running at top efficiency.  No-Cost/Low-Cost tips we talked about: Close drapes and blinds, Cook outside, Clear any debris from your ac unit,  Keep doors shut, And regularly change your furnace filter!

Lastly, if you need a new air conditioner this summer to lower your own electric bill costs, Logan Services has a plethora of resources that can help you! We offer financing, free in-home estimates, and next-day installation available in the Dayton, Columbus, and Cincinnati areas.  Visit our website at logan-inc.com.

Tahylor:  This episode was edited and produced by yours truly.  Special thanks to Mindy, Chris, Amanda, and Bret.  Thank you so much for tuning in!  I’ve been your host, Tahylor Cryer, and this was the Logan Services Podcast.

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