CFLs, Radiant Barriers and AC Tune Ups

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Where Are the Real Savings?

Can you believe Americans will buy a five-dollar compact fluorescent light bulb to save less than
$10 per year in energy costs and pass up even greater savings by not servicing their air conditioners?

CFLs save energy and help the environment. That’s good. But tuning up your air conditioning system helps you be green and save green much faster. In 2007 Berkey’s performed more 5000 AC tune ups, saving our customers more than $1 million dollars in electric bills. That’s an average of more than $200 per home. 

Here’s how you save: a well-tuned AC system runs more efficiently and less often, which uses less electricity. But it gets even better. Most air conditioning companies charge about $79 for an AC tune up, including Berkey’s. If you save $200 in electric bills, you’re $121 ahead.

With Berkey’s Universal Protection Plan you save even more, because for $99, we will tune up multiple home HVAC systems. If you have two systems and save $200 per system while spending $99, you will be $301 ahead. 

BUT, if you subscribe to Berkey’s Home Edition, our e-newsletter, you can get our Universal Protection Plan for $49 per year. Your savings then become $351 – a pretty good return on a $49 investment.

What’s more, the Universal Protection Plan also entitles you to a heater/furnace tune up in the fall, and a plumbing checkup you can schedule any time during the year. When properly tuned each year, your AC systems will last longer, which saves on replacement costs, too.

So, by all means buy the CFLs, but the smart money for spring is on the AC tune up. Be sure to handle those compact fluorescent lights carefully, too. They contain mercury, so if you break one, watch that you don’t get cut, and be sure to recycle to them instead of disposing in the trash.