I have an Intertherm all in one electric AC/heating unit out on a slab outside my house. The unit works fine and the heater really heats up the house nicely however, every time I turn on the unit my power meter dial begins racing around so fast that it is a blur and my heating bill for one month is over $500 when I run the heat and only $120 a month when I do not run the heat. Do I have a defective heater or heating coil or blower motor or something? These things cannot be this expensive to run can they? The unit is several years old (maybe 10) and uses the heat coils. Can I replace the coils or the whole heating unit? These heating bills are killing me!

There are packaged units (that is what yours is called) that offer a heat pump along with strait electric heaters that will lower your utility bill. Another item you need to look at is the insulation factors of your home including the window and doors along with any other air leak sources.

If you liver in a older mobile home for example to heat it with just strait electric resistance heaters will put you in the poor house real quick.

In today’s world a 500.00 heat bill per month is not all that bad since many people I know have 1000.00 heat bills during severe winter months and they have all the energy efficiency toys but the house is large and they live in a northern climate.

You might shop around for price on a packaged heat pump unit to see the cost and also how long the pay back period for the purchase price. In the mean time read how to pick a contractor article posted below.