Is it better to turn off your AC when you aren’t home, or should you run it all day?
An age old question, answered. (Sort of.)
A home’s HVAC system is generally uses more electricity than any other appliance, so it’s no surprise that people want to turn it off as often as possible to save a bit during hot summer months. This has led to a long running debate: Is it better to turn off the system or to leave it running all day?
The “Working Harder” Myth
The first thing it’s important to note is that contrary to a popular myth, your system does not “work harder” to catch up if you turn it off. A homes AC system runs at the same speed all the time, so the only thing that might happen is it runs for a little longer to cool your home down to a normal temperature after being off in the middle of the day. So this means if you leave it running all day, it will frequently turn on and off in shorter bursts to keep the home cool. If you turn it off on your way out of the door, and on when you get home, it will have been off for hours, and might run for longer to reach your home’s set normal temperature.
Does Turning off the AC Save Money?
As stated above, the only thing that changes if you turn your AC off when you leave and on when you get home, is it will run for longer during the period when you get home. This is important to keep in mind, as some energy providers do charge a premium for high usage times like 5pm – 11pm. If you have a provider with this pricing method, and you are turning on your system to run during a peak pricing time, you could be costing yourself money in the long run. However, if your energy provider had a flat rate, or if the peak time charges are not wildly expensive, in almost all cases it should save you money to turn off your AC when you are not at home. (Be sure and check your rate plan before assuming anything.)
Is Turning the AC Off Bad for My HVAC System?
AC system replacements can be pricey, so it makes sense that people would worry that running the system continuously will “burn out the motors” or any other number of issues people tend to worry about. Fortunately, unless you are literally running your AC system nonstop all day and night, you shouldn’t have to worry about this. Running an air conditioning system for a couple of hours in the evening to cool your home will not put enough strain on your system to cause any major issues. In fact, may experts believe operating your system this way in beneficial for the machine. Since it actually runs for less time overall, you will put less wear and tear on the system. As long as it is well maintained, your HVAC system should be at its most stable when running at full speed. The more common breakdowns happen during start up or shut off, since these processes require more smaller moving parts.
So Should I Definitely Turn Off My AC When I Leave?
Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Yes, you may see some savings by turning off your HVAC system, but cooling isn’t the only thing that happens when you run your AC. Your system also will remove humidity from your home, so if you leave the system off for extended periods, your home will get very humid inside. Mold and mildew will be more likely to start growing. You may notice papers around the house have wrinkled or maybe wood is beginning to warp. Also, the heat resulting from leaving your AC system off can be bad for your plants and pets.
Finding Balance: Turn Up, Not Off
The smartest solution may be to invest in a programmable thermostat. Giving yourself the ability to automatically move the thermostat between 75 and 85 degrees in the middle of the day will allow you to still cool your home to a comfortable temperature quickly when you get home, and prevent your pets and home from any of the issues that may arise from turning the system all the way off. Raising the temperature of your thermostat by 1 degree results in a 5% efficiency increase, which can result in big savings at the end of the month.
Small Business Marketing
As a small business owner, it’s hard enough keeping up with your day to day operations without having to factor in marketing your business. Here is a quick list of small steps you can take that could have a big impact on your business, but that won’t add a ton of time to your weekly schedule.
Facebook, Twitter, Blogs
The most valuable thing you have to offer that big box stores and corporations don’t have is: You. You are the face and voice of your business, and in this era of social media and interaction you have the power to communicate directly with your customers. Take full advantage of that as often as possible. This doesn’t mean just opening a Facebook company page or Twitter account, either. This means being active on those networks. Engage with customers. Ask them questions. Listen to feedback they might offer. Try and look at your social media accounts as part of your daily routine at work, they can give you a bigger return than you might expect.
Upgrade Your In Store Experience
Getting someone into your store may seem like a win, but really it’s just the beginning. The win will come when they come BACK to your store. Consider setting up a customer loyalty program for your business. Digital loyalty programs are becoming more and more inexpensive and easy to manage. For example, Huzzah Loyalty Rewards offers a package for small business that includes an iPad for customers to check into using their smartphones. (Packages start at $69. Learn more at HuzzahMedia.com)
Get as Close as Possible
Hyperlocal isn’t just a buzzword, it’s becoming a real necessity and difference maker when considering where small businesses should allocate precious marketing dollars. As technology and information continues to progress, it’s this kind of hyperlocal targeting, previously only available to companies with six figure marketing budgets, is becoming available to small businesses who might only have a four figure budget. What makes more sense? A postcard blasted out to an entire city of people who might never even be in your area, or a mobile ad sent to a select number of consumers located within ten miles of your business? (And as a bonus, the targeted ad comes to you at a fraction of the cost of printing and mailing the postcard.)
Follow the trends
Calling mobile a trend is kind of a misnomer, because trends will come and go. Mobile is more of a new reality, but it’s new enough that small businesses are still dipping their toes in the water of mobile. Google is predicting that mobile searches (85.9 billion) will overtake desktop searches (84 billion) as early as 2015. That’s this year, if you’re keeping track. And these mobile searches are extremely relevant. Over 40% of mobile searches are local in nature, and 81% of conversions from mobile search happen within hours of the search. So if all signs point to mobile, why haven’t more SMBs taken advantage? Maybe it has to do with a lack of time to manage a mobile campaign, or the perceived cost of running mobile ads. UpSnap is working to relieve those reservations with a turn key approach to mobile advertising. For $100 a small business can have a custom landing page and mobile banner tailored to their business. For that $100 the SMB will be featured on hundreds of top mobile apps and sites, and UpSnap will provide a detailed report on the performance of their ads.
This year is already off to a fast start. Don’t let your small business fall behind the competition.
User Friendly Home Services is pleased to announce the acquisition of Sal’s Heating & Cooling in North Royalton, Ohio.
User Friendly Home Services is pleased to announce the acquisition of Sal’s Heating & Cooling in North Royalton, Ohio.
“This is a transformative day for our company!” said Bruce Howard, CEO of User Friendly Home Services. “Sal and Marilyn, their family, and their entire team have done amazing work in building Sal’s Heating & Cooling into a true leader and fixture in the Ohio market. I know everyone at User Friendly Home Services is excited to continue to build and expand upon this excellent foundation.”
Salvatore Sidoti Jr. and Marilyn Sidoti, owners of Sal’s Heating & Cooling, were also enthusiastic about the new partnership. “Sal Sr. started this journey for us almost 50 years ago. We cannot wait to see the heights this new road with User Friendly Home Services will take us to” said the Sidotis.
Sal Sidoti Sr. established Sal’s Heating & Cooling in 1975. Sal Jr., who will remain with the company as President of Sal’s Heating & Cooling, now leads the team alongside his wife Marilyn, who will transition with the company as an Acquisition Specialist. The Sidoti family exemplifies the company’s slogan of “No Nonsense Service Since 1975” by providing their customers with unmatched quality and service, offering 24-hour service, including holidays. Under Sal Jr. and Marilyn’s leadership, the company has grown beyond their initial offering of heating & cooling services and now provides a full suite including HVAC, indoor air quality, water heater, plumbing, and sewer services.
User Friendly Home Services has extended its national network of HVAC and home service companies to ten (10) with the Sal’s acquisition.
Ohio
Sal’s Heating & Cooling, Plumbing & Sewer
California
All Seasons Air Conditioning, Plumbing & Heating, Inc
Kentucky
Legacy Heating & Air Conditioning
Isabel Heating & Cooling
Mike Clark Heating, Cooling & Refrigeration
Milburn Heating and Air Conditioning
Murry’s Heating & Air Conditioning
AccuTemp Heating & Air Conditioning
Efficient Air Heating and Cooling
Oklahoma
User Friendly Home Services, Tulsa
Small Business vs Social Media
The nature of being a small business owner requires that you wear more hats than anyone. Any given day you will be CEO, CFO, sales manager, HR, customer service... You get the idea. Too often, though, one of the most important hats goes unworn: Social media manager.
In the busy day of a small business owner, remembering to check in on Facebook can seem like a trivial task that can be back burnered, but it really shouldn't be. Your business's social media profiles are often a customer's best window into who you are as a business. Recent studies show that as many as 63% of customers expect companies to offer customer service via social media, and 90% have already used social media as a means of communication with a brand or business. This can create a huge opportunity for you and your business, or it could possibly shine a light on one of your companies biggest misses.
If you're thinking, "Yeah, I get it. I have my social media under control..." consider this:
80% of companies with an online presence believe that they are delivering exceptional customer service via social media. Comparatively, only 8% of their customers agree with that statement.
Simply building your company's Facebook profile, or posting an image of yourself working on Instagram isn't going to fully satisfy the expectations of your customers. A copied-and-pasted stock response to complaints or inquiries isn't going to cut it, either. It's important to remember to be a person on social media more than a business on social media. Be available to answer questions or handle complaints (FYI, 78% of people that complain about a product or service on Twitter expect a response within the hour). It can seem like a lot to handle in addition to your already busy day, but a successful interaction with a customer pays dividends: After a positive social media experience with a business, 71% of consumers are likely to recommend that business to others. You aren't just interacting with a potential customer, you are creating an evangelist for your business, and there is no more powerful marketing tool than word-of-mouth.
So how do you know if you are succeeding at social media? You can look for the obvious clues like follower count, likes, shares, comments, etc. Ideally, you will start to see a lift in one or all of these if you commit yourself to your business's social media. Another tool you can use is a service like Zappenin, which assigns a "Social Business Score" to a company (for free). Using that score you can compare your business to other businesses in your area, and see how you stack up to your competition.
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