Air Conditioning Tune Ups and Compact Fluorescent Lights

Can you believe it? We let our air conditioning systems go without
a tune up while we buy $5 compact fluorescent light bulbs to save
less than $10 per year on our electric bills?

Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) save energy and help the environment. That’s good. But tuning up your air conditioners helps you be green and save green much faster.

This year Berkey’s is on schedule to perform more than 10,000 air conditioning tune ups, saving our customers more than $1 million dollars on their electric bills. That’s an average of more than $100 per system (conservatively), and our average customer has 3.2 central air conditioners.

Here’s How You Save

A well-tuned AC system runs more efficiently and less often, so you use less electricity. Most air conditioning and heating companies charge about $79 for an AC tune up, including Berkey’s. If you save $100 in electric bills, you’re $21 ahead on each system.

With Berkey’s $99 Universal Protection Plan service agreement you save even more. It covers annual tune ups on all air conditioning, plumbing and heating systems in your home for one low price. You’ll never pay for a tune up again, as long as you keep your service agreement in force.

If you have two central air and heating systems and tune them each year, it would cost $316. Add in a plumbing tune up and the cost goes to $395. When you pay $99 for Berkey’s service agreement, you are $316 ahead before adding in your electricity and gas savings. We have more detailed numbers available here.

Bonus Savings

When properly tuned each year, your air conditioners and heaters will last longer, saving you more money.

So, by all means buy the CFLs, but don’t overlook the much bigger savings to be realized by having your air conditioning, heating and plumbing systems running at top efficiency.

Be sure to handle those compact fluorescent lights carefully, too. They contain mercury, so if you break one, watch that you don’t get cut, and be sure to recycle them instead of disposing in the trash.