THE FIELD GUIDE · 9 ARTICLES
Energy Bills & Efficiency
Turn watts, fuel prices, and efficiency ratings into costs you can understand. Every example shows its assumptions.
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How Much Does It Cost to Run an Air Conditioner Per Hour?
Calculate air conditioner hourly, daily, and monthly electricity cost from measured power, runtime, and your rate, with clearly labeled examples.
- 21
Heat Pump Electricity Cost: Estimate Your Monthly Heating Bill
Estimate heat pump monthly heating electricity with useful heat demand, COP, backup-heat consumption, and utility-rate scenarios you can change.
- 22
Heat Pump vs. Electric Baseboard Heating: Operating Cost Comparison
Compare electric baseboard and heat pump heating using equal heat delivery, partial-home coverage, backup use, and transparent electricity-cost examples.
- 23
SEER2 Explained: How Much Can a More Efficient AC Really Save?
Use SEER2 to compare cooling efficiency, estimate relative energy savings, and test whether a higher-efficiency AC justifies its added price.
- 24
HSPF2 Explained: How Heat Pump Heating Efficiency Works
Understand HSPF2 heat pump heating ratings, their relationship to COP, and why local weather and backup heat affect actual heating costs.
- 25
AC Tonnage vs. Square Footage: Why Simple Size Charts Can Be Wrong
Learn why AC tons cannot be selected from square footage alone and which load, humidity, duct, and equipment details a proper sizing proposal needs.
- 26
Manual J Load Calculations: What Homeowners Should Know
Understand the purpose of Manual J, the inputs a contractor needs, what the report should show, and how load calculations connect to equipment and ducts.
- 27
Dual-Fuel Heating Break-Even: Comparing Electricity and Gas Prices
Calculate the COP at which heat pump heating matches natural gas cost using electricity rates, gas prices per therm, and furnace AFUE.
- 28
Thermostat Settings That Can Reduce Heating and Cooling Bills
Build a practical thermostat schedule, account for heat pump recovery and humidity, and measure savings without universal temperature promises.