After June, July, and August power bills topped $400, a New Mexico homeowner turned to Reddit's r/HVACAdvice community for advice on cutting those costs.
Here's what to know
"I have heard central air loses 30% energy to duct work," the original poster wrote. "What are my best investment options to bring down the light bill, without breaking my very limited bank?"
Because the OP's house is nearly 100 years old, many replies pushed the homeowner toward basic efficiency fixes first, including attic insulation, air sealing, duct sealing, and maybe better windows, rather than jumping straight to a whole-home ductless conversion.
Several commenters were fully on board with mini-splits, though. One commenter shared an example of how a mini-split in one frequently used space can pencil out.
"I put in a 12k 25 seer for my living space with an estimated cost of $0.25hr to run vs $1.75hr to run on my 3T central," they said, noting they expected a return on investment in just three years.
Commenters also described how a single high-efficiency mini-split in the main living area is a reasonable compromise. They said that approach tends to work best if most of your day is spent in one zone and the central system stays available as backup instead of being turned off entirely.
As one commenter put it, a targeted approach like this represents a "win."
Comfort also came up repeatedly in the thread. One commenter said of installing mini-splits, "The bill only went down slightly but the comfort level is way up."
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Another noted, "The central rarely kicks on because I set it to 85. The kitchen and living room is very comfortable."
More background
A more efficient setup can cut wasted energy, improve comfort, and give homeowners more control over where cooling actually goes.
Insulation, air sealing, and checking for conditioned air escaping through duct leaks were presented as the lowest-cost ways to reduce waste. If a home itself is losing cooling, even a brand-new system may fall short of the savings you expect.
Still, an upgraded and efficient HVAC can yield massive savings if done right. For homeowners exploring an HVAC upgrade, Palmetto can help homeowners understand their HVAC options and slash their energy bills with new, efficient HVAC systems and heat pumps. Palmetto's Comfort Plan network can help you find heating and cooling solutions for your home and connect you with vetted installers.
Where can I learn more?
Other homeowners have lauded the benefits of switching to mini-splits for heating and cooling.
• In Connecticut, a homeowner said a mini-split could wipe out 200 gallons of oil.
• In Rhode Island, one homeowner got four mini-split quotes, but only one required 40,000 BTU.
• In Massachusetts, solar, mini-splits, and net metering should leave one homeowner 4,100 kWh ahead.
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