OC homeowners often assume our mild climate means low heating bills…but inefficient systems can cost you more than you think!
It’s easy to get comfortable with Orange County’s mild Mediterranean climate. With winter temperatures typically ranging from 45°F to 85°F throughout the year, many homeowners figure their heating costs are automatically low.
However, the truth is that even mild weather can lead to surprisingly high energy bills when your heating system isn’t running efficiently. And with Orange County residents spending an average of $297 per month on electricity. That’s 31% higher than the national average!!
Why Mild Weather Doesn’t Always Mean Low Bills
Here’s what most Orange County homeowners don’t realize: your heating system doesn’t just turn on and off based on outside temperature. It has to maintain a consistent indoor temperature, and inefficient systems work way harder than they should to do that job.
Even when winter highs average around 67°F, your heating system still kicks on during those cooler mornings and evenings. An inefficient furnace might run twice as long to heat your home the same amount as a well-maintained system. That means double the energy usage, double the cost.
Plus, Orange County’s Mediterranean climate creates a unique challenge: temperature swings. Your system has to constantly adjust between heating and not heating, which puts extra stress on older or poorly maintained equipment.
The Hidden Costs of “It’s Fine” Mentality
Too many homeowners in Orange County fall into the “it’s fine” trap. Your heating system turns on, warm air comes out, so everything must be working properly. Wrong.
An inefficient heating system might still heat your home, but it’s doing so at a high cost. Dirty filters, clogged ducts, worn components, and poor calibration can make your system use 20-40% more energy than it should.
That might not seem like much when you think about it daily, but over an entire heating season? You could be throwing away hundreds of dollars that could have stayed in your pocket with proper maintenance.
What’s Really Driving Your Heating Costs
- Time-of-Use Pricing: Most Orange County residents are now on Time-of-Use (TOU) electricity plans, where rates vary depending on when energy is used. Peak hours (typically 4-9 PM on weekdays) can cost as much as $0.52 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), while off-peak hours may be around $0.33 per kWh.
If your heating system is running during those expensive peak hours because it’s inefficient and struggling to maintain temperature, you’re paying premium prices for mediocre performance. - System Inefficiencies: Heating and cooling account for about 48% of energy usage in American households. In Orange County, where you’re running some form of climate control year-round, that percentage might be even higher.
- Poor Maintenance. When was the last time you had your heating system professionally serviced? If you can’t remember, or if it’s been more than a year, you’re probably paying for that neglect every month.
Dirty components, worn parts, and calibration issues can cause your system to work 25% harder than it needs to. In Orange County’s housing market, that inefficiency can cost you $50-$ 100 extra per month during the heating season.
The Real Cost of Putting Off Maintenance
Professional furnace maintenance typically costs a couple of hundred dollars. Seems like a lot, right? But compare that to the cost of running an inefficient system all winter.
If poor maintenance is costing you an extra $75 per month for just four months of heating season, that’s $300 in wasted energy. Plus, neglected systems break down more often, and emergency furnace repair costs way more than preventive maintenance.
A properly maintained system also lasts longer. The difference between a furnace that lasts 12 years and one that lasts 18 years is thousands of dollars in replacement costs.
Don’t Let “Mild” Fool You
Just because Orange County doesn’t get freezing cold doesn’t mean heating efficiency doesn’t matter. With electricity rates 31% higher than the national average and Time-of-Use pricing making peak hours expensive, every bit of wasted energy costs you real money.
Ready to stop overpaying for heating? Contact Biard & Crockett at (714) 602-1299 or schedule your service online to make sure your heating system runs efficiently through another beautiful Orange County winter.