10 Aircon Saving Tips: How to Save Money and Energy While Staying Cool
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Air conditioners are useful tools to have during the warm summer months when humidity is high. However, all these cooling costs can definitely put a dent in your finances. To save money, you need to start saving energy, but that can be difficult if it’s too scorching outside. When frequent air conditioning usage is something you just need to do to stay cool, understanding a few aircon saving tips may make a big difference to your electricity bill.
How Can We Save in Aircon Expenses in the Philippines?
Your AC unit is most likely your home’s largest energy consumption. If you use it frequently during hot summer days to keep your home cool, you’re undoubtedly used to seeing high power bills. While owning an AC system might seem like you’re stuck with high expenses, there are still some steps you can take to save energy and shave some of those costs off.
From keeping your house insulated to purchasing a thermostat, here are some of the best AC energy-saving techniques that might help you save money.
1. Proper Door and Window Treatments
When it comes to an AC unit, it makes sense to close the door to prevent the cold air from escaping. However, make sure that all of your windows are well shut too, and that no chilly air escapes the room. A house that is drafty or doesn’t have enough insulation is not an energy-efficient dwelling.
Inspect the interior and outside of your home for gaps, cracks, and holes that air can pass through. The obvious locations to examine are the windows and doors, but there are numerous additional places where leaks can occur.
2. Use Ceiling Fans or Electric Fans
Using ceiling fans saves energy and helps your AC unit work more efficiently. A ceiling fan produces a wind chill effect and increases the air flow throughout your living space, which means your AC doesn’t have to work as hard to keep the entire room cool.
Because of the enhanced circulation of the cool air, you should be able to raise your thermostat to four degrees without the space becoming too unbearably hot. You can also use a stand fan or a desk fan if you’re not too keen on installing a ceiling fan.
3. Set to Comfortable Temperature
Instead of using the highest temperature your cooling system has, set it a few degrees cooler than the room to save energy and spend less on electricity bills. Your room doesn’t have to resemble the interior of a refrigerator, just being cooler than the hot air outside is enough.
When you’re away, you can up the AC a few degrees higher to keep the room at optimal temperature. The recommended temperature set by the US Department of Energy is 78°F or 26°C.
4. Surround Your House With Greenery
The majority of heat that collects within a home comes from the sun shining straight on the roof or through the windows, directly heating the building. To help with this, you can plant leafy trees and plants around the perimeter of your property to shade and keep your house cooler.
You’ll get a lot of sun in the morning and afternoon if you have a wide window facing east or west. If your house is in an open area and you get plenty of sunlight, plant towering trees on the property’s south side and wide trees on the west and east sides.
5. Pre-Cool Rooms Before Turning On the AC
Using your air conditioning unit to feel cooler as temperatures soar might increase your power consumption. Before putting on the air conditioning unit, pre-cool your home by open windows to let the air circulate. When you start on your AC, make sure the windows are properly closed to prevent cold air from escaping.
6. Gradually Adjust AC Temperature
Every degree of cooling forces your AC to work more, consuming more energy. Set it to a few degrees colder than the room tempt first rather than completely blasting it to its fullest.
A good rule of thumb is to keep the temperature differential between inside and outside as little as possible. For every degree you raise over 26 degrees Celsius, you may save up to 3% on power consumption.
7. Set a Scheduled Maintenance
The majority of heat that collects within a home comes from the sun shining straight on the roof or through the windows, directly heating the building. To help with this, you can plant leafy trees and plants around the perimeter of your property to shade and keep your house cooler.
You’ll get a lot of sun in the morning and afternoon if you have a wide window facing east or west. If your house is in an open area and you get plenty of sunlight, plant towering trees on the property’s south side and wide trees on the west and east sides.
8. Avoid Increasing Heat Inside The House
The television, corner lamp, kitchen oven, etc., all of these household appliances create a lot of heat, which means your AC will have to work harder to keep the temperatures under control.
Make sure to turn them off when you’re not using them. When bathing, use your bathroom exhaust fan to remove excess heat.
9. Use a Smart Thermostat
Investing in a programmable thermostat is a great way to cut on your power bills. A high-quality thermostat can help you save money by regulating your cooling system from time to time. You may also use an app on your mobile device to change the settings and set your thermostat automatically.
When you’re asleep or away from home, smart thermostats can adjust your AC to the most optimum temperature and make your room more pleasant. As a result, you may save around 10% on your heating and cooling bills.
10. Replace Your Old Unit
If you’ve done everything above and the humidity inside your home doesn’t change, it may be time for an upgrade. There are plenty of high-quality AC units in the market that can fit your budget and preferred specifications.
Final Note: Aircon Saving Tips
In the summer, running your AC may dramatically raise your power cost. As the summer months continue, you may use the cost-effective methods outlined above to help your AC work more efficiently while still conserving electricity. You can also call your local utility provider for more energy-saving recommendations.
For AC reviews and guides, you can read through our site.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I use the AC to lower my electric bill?
There are simple methods to avoid a large electricity bill. Despite using your air conditioner frequently.
- Ensure that your unit is installed properly. Incorrect installation may force your air conditioner to work harder, lowering its efficiency and longevity while also raising your monthly power cost.
- Make sure that your AC outdoor unit is not put in a position where it will be exposed to direct sunlight for an extended length of time, and that the room where the AC is located has a relatively low number of windows and doors through which sunlight can enter, making it hotter.
- An air conditioner’s star rating may be used to estimate its cooling efficiency. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency provides this star grade for consumer awareness. The highest star rating is 5, while the lowest is 1. When compared to a 1 or 2-star air conditioner, a 5-star air conditioner will cool your space more efficiently without being too heavy on energy consumption.
Is it cheaper to leave the air conditioner on all day?
During really hot weather, it is generally less expensive to leave the air conditioning unit on all day. However, keeping it on full blast all of the time is inefficient. Results may vary, however, depending on your air conditioning system.
It may seem obvious to switch off your air conditioner when you aren’t using it, such as during the day when no one is home. Turning off the air conditioner, however, may quickly introduce a lot of heat and humidity into your space, particularly if it’s really hot outside. As a result, your air conditioner works harder to bring the temperature down to a more comfortable temperature.
This can take a long time and put an excessive amount of stress on the air conditioning system, which means less effective cooling, more frequent maintenance, and higher energy costs.
