Summer is upon us! The days are getting longer, the sun is feeling warmer (albeit those strange cold mornings…) and the general mood is shifting from mediocre to happy! Although, the mood can change quickly as the hot, sweaty days hang around and everyone starts to feel that little bit more uncomfortable. Retreating to the glorious air-conditioned home is a priority for almost everyone in summer. But, what isn’t so glorious is the high electricity bills that can be associated with running your air conditioner for days on end. “How can I reduce my electricity bills whilst keeping the air conditioner on?” We hear you ask.
In this blog post, we’ll cover off exactly how to achieve that! Here are 5 tips to reduce your electricity bill this summer, with Air Conditioning.
Turn the Air Conditioning Off at Night
This tip really is night and day! Keep the air conditioner running from morning to evening, but switch it off at night. Often, the air is cooler at night time, and therefore opening a window can provide that relief you seek without contributing to your electricity bill.
If you do find a welcoming summer breeze knocking on your window, open it up and let it in! The cooler outside air will also help to freshen up the air inside your home and provide fresh oxygen. Also, for comfortable sleeping, your body may not require air conditioning at all. As you’re resting, your body doesn’t need the same temperature to stay comfortable as it does during the day.
Use your Timer
Did you know most modern air conditioners are fitted with a timer function? The timer function on your air conditioner allows you to set timers for the time of day and day of week. In-fact, modern timers on smart air conditioning controllers can also be set to turn on, when the room hits a certain temperature, meaning you won’t even need to think about it!
Imagine that, a set and forget climate control system. The timer function allows for efficient control of your split system or reverse cycle ducted air conditioner. Some timers even allow you to set the fan speed and duration for the air conditioner to run. Before you leave for work, simply set the timer function to switch the air conditioner onto cooling, 23°C at 9am for the day so that you come home to a nice, cool home.
Keep the Sun Out
As much as we all love to work on our tan in summer, letting the sun inside your home during those hot days simply isn’t a good idea. The heat of the sun penetrating your windows will also cause the temperature inside your home to rise. When you do end up turning your air conditioner on, the system will detect the high indoor temperature and run at maximum capacity for an extended period of time. Not only will this put excessive strain on the system, but it will use a lot of electricity in the process. Instead, opt to have tinting installed with UV reflective properties. Also, be sure to keep your curtains or shutters drawn for the whole day so that the sun is kept out, and coolness is kept in.
Turn off Heat Emitting Devices
Leaving your TV running and lights on for the whole day is never a good idea. Not only will it cause excessive strain on the devices, but you’re introducing more artificial heat into your home.
Like we explained above, the air conditioner will detect the indoor temperature at either the return air grille or at the controller (each air conditioner is different). When there is artificial heat created from electronic devices on standby or that have been left on, will contribute to the rising indoor temperature, meaning the system will be working even harder to cool your home down.
Instead, be sure to switch electronic devices and lights off before you leave for the day. Not only is this safer, but will help keep your home cool throughout the day.
Turn the Air Conditioning on Early
If there is ONE big take away from this article, its this one (yes, we left the best to last!) Try to think of your air conditioner as if it’s trying to ‘maintain’ the temperature, rather than ‘change’ the temperature.
What we mean by this is that think of your air conditioner as trying to ‘maintain’ the cool, morning temperature rather than ‘change’ the hot afternoon temperature into cooler temperatures. When you think of it maintaining temperature rather than changing it, this will allow your air conditioner to work much easier throughout the day rather than ramping up to full capacity in the late afternoon and evening.
Yes, it may seem contrary that running the air conditioner for the whole day is more efficient than more a short period of time, but think of it like a hill. It is easier to pedal your bike up a hill with less incline, but longer in duration than it is to pedal a bike up a short, near vertical hill. When you come home from work at 5:30pm on a 36°C day and switch the air conditioner onto cooling and 20°C, your system is facing a mammoth vertical mountain to climb as it works to change the temperature from 36°C to somewhere near 20°C.
Well, here’s to a long and comfortable summer!
