Why is my AC bill so high?
Enter your last bill and your home size. We compare it against a Houston summer for a home like yours, then show the most likely cause and what it costs to fix.
- Free diagnosis
- No sales pressure
- Houston-specific math
- Real cost ranges
Why this calculator exists
The hardest part of a high bill is not knowing
All summer we get the same call: "is my AC the reason my bill jumped?" Sometimes it is. Other times it's a hot month, kids home from school or a thermostat schedule somebody changed. The bad part is staring at the bill with no idea where to start.
Where the math comes from
The expected bill starts from a Houston-area cooling cost per square foot, then adjusts for your set point and the age of the system. By that math, a 2,000 sqft home with a 12-year-old AC at 76°F runs around $260 to $300 in a normal August. When a bill lands far above that, it's usually one of seven or eight things.
The likely-causes list is what we'd actually check
Filter, capacitor, dirty coils, refrigerant, duct leakage, an oversized system, a failing compressor, the thermostat. Our senior techs work through them in about that order on a diagnostic call. The calculator picks the two or three most likely from your numbers.
Sometimes the answer is "your system is fine"
If the calculator says your bill is normal, we'll say the same on the phone. We've been in business since 1990 on repeat customers and word of mouth.
Common questions
How accurate is the diagnosis?
Treat it as a starting point. The math compares your bill to what a Houston-area home of your size and system age should run in summer at your thermostat setting. The likely-causes ranking uses age and severity to put first what we'd check first. Pinning it down still takes gauges and an amp meter, with a tech looking at the unit.
What if my bill is in the normal range?
Then we say so. A lot of people run this after a sticker shock and find the bill is normal. Hot weather, a lower set point or a changed schedule moves cooling cost more than most people expect. If yours comes back normal, check the cheap things first (the filter, the thermostat schedule). We won't push you to book a paid visit.
What happens on a diagnostic visit?
It's $99 flat ($79 for new customers), and the fee is waived when you approve the repair. A senior tech checks both coils and reads refrigerant pressures with superheat and subcooling. The capacitor and contactor get tested. Then the tech looks at the drain line and blower, measures duct pressure for signs of leakage, and reviews the thermostat program. You get a written report that sorts every part into healthy, borderline or failing, with the price to fix any of it.
How soon can someone come out?
Most weeks we can be there same day or next day in Pearland, Friendswood, League City, Alvin and Manvel. In a heat wave that can stretch to 1 to 3 days. No-cool emergencies get answered 24/7.
What if it turns out to be a small fix?
Good. We'll tell you. Plenty of "my bill is high" calls end with a new filter or a partly clogged drain pan. Sometimes it's a thermostat schedule that wasn't doing what the homeowner thought it was.
Other ways to start
Want to talk it through now? Call dispatch at 281-992-7866. Answered 24/7.
Holding a quote from another contractor? Send it to our free quote review and we'll tell you whether it's fair.
New-system pricing is in our three-tier pricing guide, with Houston-area ranges.