How to Save Electricity When Using a Heat Pump

If you heat and cool your house with a central heat pump, these energy tips will help you to greatly reduce your electric costs. To learn ways to save energy when purchasing a heat pump, see Heat Pump Efficiency.

• Hire an HVAC contractor to do a tune-up and inspection every one or two years. The six inspections below will maximize your heat pump’s efficiency:

1. Check if the system has lost refrigerant. If some is lost the system will be less efficient.
2. Inspect the visible ductwork for air leaks. Leaks lower the system’s efficiency.
3. Check the system for peak efficiency and adjust it if necessary.
4. Inspect the indoor motor wheel and motor and record the amp draw (how much electricity it uses). If this is too high the system is wasting electricity.
5. Check for sounds which would occur when the motor bearings need to be replaced.
6. Calibrate the thermostat.

• To improve the efficiency of the system, you can do several annual maintenance procedures yourself. Those which you can do are given in the owner’s manual. If you no longer have the manual, try to find it on the manufacturer’s website or order it from the manufacturer.
• Replace the filter the first week of each month. A dirty filter lowers the airflow through the system, reducing its efficiency.
• Do not set back the thermostat at night in the heating season unless you have a thermostat designed for heat pump set-back. Setting it back with a conventional thermostat will result in higher energy consumption.
• If the outdoor unit is closely surrounded by shrubbery, replant it 2 to 3 ft. away. Tall bushes trap warm air, reducing the coils’ ability to release heat in the summer.
• If high winds are common, plant tall bushes to block the outdoor unit from wind. High winds can reduce efficiency by allowing frost to form.
• Check if your heat pump cycles on and off too often in the summer. If it does, it is wasting energy. They normally cycle about every 20 minutes when the outdoor temperature is 95 to 105 degrees. If it cycles more often the thermostat may not be working correctly or the filter is very dirty or the blower is malfunctioning.
• Buy a programmable thermostat designed for heat pumps.
• Do not allow water from the roof to run onto the outdoor unit. This could cause ice build-up.
• Check that the outdoor unit is perfectly horizontal.