A homeowner got a shock when they got a repair bill for their home's air conditioning, and they turned to Reddit for advice.
The discussion took place on the r/hvacadvice subreddit. The homeowner explained that their technician "wasn't even here for more than an hour," and despite initially being told the repairs would cost less than $600, the final bill came out to nearly $1,200.
"What can I do about this?" the original poster asked. "They won't budge on the price since 'the services have already been rendered.'"
Heating and cooling are responsible for more than half of the energy use in an average American home, so upgrading your HVAC system is one of the most impactful moves you can make to save money on monthly utility bills.
Knowing where to start your search, however, is difficult. That's why we've launched The Cool Down's HVAC Explorer, which will help answer your questions and connect you with partners that can help you save serious money.
A heat pump, for example, is a great way to save money on heating and cooling. These energy-efficient appliances capture heat from the ambient air and pump it through the building to keep it warm. When it gets hot outside, they act like a traditional air conditioner.
And they do all of this without burning fossil fuels, the way a standard gas or oil furnace does, keeping the planet cleaner and your energy costs down.
This homeowner could have benefited from talking to some of the partners available via the HVAC Explorer. Palmetto, for example, provides options on HVAC systems that make it possible to get a system for no money down, and monthly lease payments as low as $99 per month.
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Even better, those costly repair bills will become a thing of the past, as Palmetto's worry-free programs come with 12 years of free maintenance. Add in those savings, and you could become more energy-efficient while also reducing your overall lifetime HVAC spend. Palmetto even offers its free Palmetto Home app that can unlock up to $5,000 in home savings.
Unfortunately, this homeowner didn't get to use any of these features and was instead on the wrong end of some costly repairs.
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Every month 📆 "I wasn't informed about the capacitor or coil cleaning costs before the tech added them to the invoice, so I didn't even have the option to shop around or do the maintenance myself," they wrote. "If this is just the standard practice and these are standard prices then I guess I'm stuck with this bill."
If you really want to ramp up your energy savings, consider powering a new HVAC with electricity generated from rooftop solar panels. TCD's Solar Explorer can connect you with trusted partners to help jump-start your solar journey.
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