Energy Bills
Energy Bills | Thermostat Upgrades | Heating and Air Conditioning | Tazewell
Transform the way your Tazewell home feels—and what you pay to keep it comfortable—by letting HEP’s Energy Bills Heating and Air Conditioning team bring tomorrow’s efficiency to you today. Our licensed technicians replace outdated controls with smart, learning technology that automatically fine-tunes temperature settings, trims waste, and gives you the power to monitor your HVAC system from anywhere. Imagine checking your phone to see you’ve already saved on utilities before you even walk through the door.
These thermostat upgrades take just a short visit to install, yet the benefits last for years: lower monthly bills, a lighter environmental footprint, and consistent comfort through every East Tennessee season. Ready to start saving? Book your appointment with HEP and feel the difference the very first month.
FAQs
How can upgrading my thermostat lower my energy bills in Tazewell’s four-season climate?
Tazewell sees humid summers that push air-conditioning systems hard and chilly Appalachian winters that require steady heating. A modern programmable or smart thermostat lets you schedule temperature setbacks when you are asleep or away—typically 7–10 °F in winter and 4–6 °F in summer—without sacrificing comfort. The U.S. DOE estimates that using these setbacks can trim annual HVAC energy use by 8–15 %. Smart models also use occupancy sensors, local weather data, and adaptive learning to fine-tune run-times, often delivering another 5–10 % in savings compared with manual or basic programmable units.
What kinds of thermostats do you install or recommend for homes and small businesses in Tazewell?
We offer three main categories: • 7-day programmable thermostats – Affordable, reliable, and ideal if your schedule is consistent. • Wi-Fi smart thermostats – Allow control from a phone, voice assistant, or computer and can generate energy-use reports. • Learning smart thermostats – Use AI to study your habits and automate schedules. Many integrate with humidity sensors and remote temperature sensors to eliminate hot/cold spots. Brands we frequently install include ecobee, Honeywell Home T-Series, and Google Nest, all of which have proven compatibility with heat pumps, gas furnaces, dual-fuel, and mini-split systems common in Tazewell.
Will a new thermostat work with my existing HVAC equipment or will I need to upgrade the whole system?
In most cases a thermostat swap is all that’s required. Current smart and programmable models are compatible with single-stage, multi-stage, variable-speed, and heat-pump systems as long as the proper control wire (often a C-wire) is present. During our free in-home assessment we: 1) check voltage and wiring, 2) confirm system type (gas, electric, dual-fuel, or geothermal), and 3) verify that safety features such as emergency heat and compressor lockout remain functional. Only in rare situations—such as very old mercury thermostats with two-wire millivolt controls—might we recommend additional relays or a system control board upgrade.
How is a thermostat upgrade installed and do I really need a professional?
A confident DIYer can handle a basic swap, but professional installation ensures: • Correct identification of the 18- to 24-V control wires (Y, G, W, O/B, C, RH/RC). • Safe power isolation at the furnace or air-handler service switch. • Firmware updates and proper setup of heat-pump balance points, dual-fuel staging, and adaptive recovery algorithms. • Validation that high-voltage lines (240 V baseboard heaters) are not accidentally connected to a low-voltage thermostat. Our technicians normally complete an installation in under one hour, including Wi-Fi setup and an on-site tutorial. We also register the product warranty and handle any manufacturer rebates on your behalf.
Can a smart thermostat improve comfort or detect HVAC problems?
Yes. Features such as geofencing start pre-heating or pre-cooling when you are within a user-defined radius of home. Remote room sensors address Tazewell’s multi-level homes where basements stay cool but upstairs bedrooms overheat. Many models send push notifications if the system runs unusually long (possible refrigerant leak), if indoor temperatures drop below a freeze point (pipe-burst risk), or if filter replacement is overdue. These alerts often prevent costly emergency repairs and extend equipment life.
Are there rebates, tax credits, or utility incentives in Tazewell for installing an energy-efficient thermostat?
Yes. Local utilities such as Appalachian Power and Powell Valley Electric Cooperative periodically offer $30–$75 bill credits for ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostats. If your home is on TVA’s EnergyRight program, you may qualify for an additional $50 rebate when the thermostat is installed by a participating contractor (like us) and connected to a heat pump or electric furnace. While federal tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act focus on larger HVAC upgrades, some homeowners can claim a modest credit when the thermostat is bundled with a qualifying heat pump. We stay current on all incentives and will file the paperwork so you receive the maximum savings.