Hotter than Hell’s Waiting Room

It’s hot outside. Really, really hot. It’s hotter than Hell’s Waiting Room. Okay, you get the picture. Throughout all this extreme heat, my husband and I have been running the AC hard. We’ve been more willing to take a punch to the pocket than suffer through a house that was hotter than 76 degrees.

Unfortunately (but not surprisingly), all this intense pressure on our AC unit caused it to go kaput…on a 102 degree day. Joy! The second kicker came when we found out the AC guy couldn’t make it out until two days later. Were we really going to have to sleep, cook, shower, dress, eat, or even sit in a house that was already at 92 degrees?

Thankfully, my sister lives a block away (there are some benefits to living close to family!), so we were able to stay with her during The Wait From Hell. Forgive me for my dramatics as I’m currently sitting in the 90 degree house *patiently* waiting for it to cool down enough so that I can take a shower to get clean rather than to just cool off.

The AC guy was here for 4 hours. During that time, I did some work, but I also ruminated over this unexpected cost we were facing. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather use my savings on a vacation than a home repair. Nevertheless, it’s out of my hands and I’m okay with it (or maybe it’s the blessed relief of cool air on the back of my neck making me say these things).
Getting to the point. How does this have anything to do with accounting or business? During my rumination, I realized that we would be eligible for an Energy Tax Credit on our 2011 return. While it’s not a huge amount, it’s enough to make me feel slightly better about this sudden expense.
So if you find yourself in Hell’s Waiting Room, 1) don’t waste your time showering in your own house…you’ll just have to do it again 5 minutes later, 2) find a nearby relative to impose on, 3) breathe – some of your money will likely come back to you in the form of a credit.

To see what products qualify and how much credit you could receive, go to: http://www.energysavers.gov/financial/.

LeAnn Gola, CPA, MAcy is a member, assurance services with Cook, Gla and Company, PLLC, certified public accountants with offices in San Antonio and Austin, Texas. www.cookgola.com