Those hot summer days can wreak havoc on our bodies if our homes are too hot. At the same time though, your air conditioner can wreak havoc on your energy bill. These tips will help you figure out how to run your air conditioner most economically so you can stay cool and save money.
The first step in saving on air conditioning energy costs is to choose the right air conditioner. Make sure you choose the proper size for your home. If it’s too small, it’ll have to work harder, but if it’s too big, it’ll keep switching on and off. Both of these scenarios are big energy burners.
Check the energy rating of your air conditioner. Energy ratings range from 1 to 6 stars or 7-10 stars for extremely efficient air conditioners. The higher the rating, the more energy-efficient the AC and the more you will save on your energy bill.
These guidelines will help your air conditioner run better without increasing your energy costs:
If your windows and doors aren’t properly insulated, which is likely unless your home is very new, cool air could be seeping outside. You can check this by contacting a professional to perform a home energy audit or do a DIY version by feeling for cold air escaping from windows and doors from the outside of the house.
Keeping your windows wide open on a bright and sunny Summer day could be letting in excess heat into your house. By closing your blinds, you improve insulation and reduce the amount of hot air coming into the house.
The purpose of running ceiling fans is multifold. While it can potentially help you feel cooler, it will also help improve air circulation. This enables you to set the thermostat at a slightly higher temperature without it feeling noticeably hotter.
There are many other ways you can experiment with reducing the heat that is given off by the sun, such as planting trees or bushes around your property.
The best thermostats to save money on air conditioning costs are programmable because you don’t need to leave your air conditioner on all day in the hopes that you’ll come home to a cooler house.
This enables you to set the temperature on your AC even when you’re out of the house. Programmable thermostats kick in the AC 30 minutes before you arrive so your house is already cool. If you use window air conditioning units, these often come with timers.
Speaking of your thermostat, are you sure yours is located in the optimal place? If it’s placed on a wall that receives a lot of heat, such as next to a window, then you may want to consider moving it somewhere else. This is because the placement of your thermostat in hotter regions of the house can cause your air conditioner to kick in unnecessarily.
Consider getting a smart thermostat that helps better regulate your heating and cooling systems when you aren’t in your house. There’s an “economy mode” that you can set your thermostat to conserve energy.
To save money, you want to set your thermostat to the highest tolerable temperature. Air conditioners expend less energy when they’re set closer to the outside temperature. Over the long run, keeping your thermostat 10 to 15 degrees higher for large stretches of the day could end up saving you 10% annually on your AC bill.
Following these tips will help you save on energy consumption and in turn on your electric bill! No matter what air conditioning system you use, proper insulation, blocking out the sun, and improving air circulation is going to help your air conditioner do its job.
It’s important to avoid turning on your air conditioner when you don’t need it, especially during the parts of the day when you aren’t home or at night, when it’s much cooler. The optimal temperature to keep your air conditioner set on is 26 degrees Celsius, so staying around this range will save you on air conditioning costs.
Enercell Air Conditioning is an HVAC contractor you can trust to help you with Air conditioning repairs Sydney. Get in touch with us here or call us at 1300 108 492.
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