Improve Your Home

If your air conditioning and/or heating system has been running a bit rough lately, you might be thinking: In this economy? I am going to wait to replace it...However, this might be the perfect time for upgrades to your home.

Why might you ask is this a good time to add value to your home? Well, the stimulus bill provides some nice, big tax breaks to homeowners looking to add energy efficiency to their home this year. If you install newer, more efficient heating, air conditioning or even water heaters (there are also some other upgrades available) the federal government will provide a tax break up to $1,500. I don't know about you, but that's pretty substantial over the $300 they were offering previously.

Then, if your local utility companies are also offering rebates, you can also save money there as well.

Reason number two this is a good time to upgrade your home: If no one is spending any money, prices are coming down. That means that contractors are more willing to lower their prices and give you a good deal. Plus, if you call before the summer heatwave (and after the frost of winter) there is a pretty good chance that you won't have to wait too long for service.

Reason number three to ensure that your HVAC system is working this summer? It is going to be HOT! Temperatures are going to soar 30-40 degrees above normal according to the national weather climate prediction center.

Another reason? Well. If you upgrade your equipment, and it is more efficient, you can save a substantial amount on your actual energy bills. If you are using less energy, that is less energy you need to pay for, and so you can run your air conditioning so that your home is comfortable and not have to worry about how high the bill is going to be. Average savings are about $40 for every $100 that would normally have been spent.

If all these reasons don't get you started thinking about an upgrade I don't know what will. Maybe as your air conditioner goes out during the peak heat of summer? That's never a good situation. If it isn't time to upgrade your system, or you aren't sure that you can afford it, it is still a great idea to make sure your system has been checked before the heat hits. A good service package with your contractor can perform yearly maintenance and ensure that everything is in working order. This will eliminate the need for emergency service calls when it's too hot or too cold, making your home more comfortable and unit more efficient in the long run. Now is the perfect time to set up a service call or upgrade your system.