The weather has a significant impact on your home’s energy use from day to day. Using your meter readings to calculate how much energy you’re going through is helpful, but because the variable of changing weather isn’t included in your calculations, you’ll get a less clear picture of your home’s efficiency. Learning to use heating and cooling degree days can help.

Let’s go through an example to learn how to calculate cooling degree days, which are used during the summer.

Basically, the temperature changes that take place during a single day will be gauged against a base temperature. Base temperatures vary, but we’ll use the example of 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Adding the highest and lowest temperatures of the day, and then dividing that sum by 2, we arrive at the day’s temperature average. Let’s say the temperature average is 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Now, we’ll subtract our base temperature from our average, to arrive at 15. This particular day would have 15 cooling degree days.

How can this help homeowners in South Bay, peninsula and Santa Cruz? Look at the calculations from your last electric meter reading, found on your utility bill. Now, calculate how many cooling degree days occurred during that span of time. You can go to the Degree Days website for help with base temperatures and the general process.

If you monitor your home’s meter readings and the cooling days from month to month, you get a clearer idea of your home’s efficiency. This way, when you take on home improvements or equipment upgrades, you’ll be able to see how your efforts raise your efficiency. Actions that can help include:

• Sealing and insulating your ductwork
• Installing high-efficiency HVAC equipment
• Using ceiling fans, and raising your thermostat settings
• Plugging air leaks throughout your home
• Decreasing solar gain during the day by keeping blinds and curtains closed

If you’d like professional assistance enhancing the energy efficiency of your home, call Valley Heating, Cooling and Electrical. Visit our websitefor in-depth information on most HVAC topics, or just give us a call at 408-294-6290. We’ll be happy to help!

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Valley Heating, Cooling & Electrical services the South Bay Peninsula and Santa Cruz areas in California. To get started, check out our website or see our current promotions.