Who wants to suffer the striking temperature of summers and live in a super hot environment? Absolutely no one! Air conditioners are truly a blessing making our homes cool and comfortable, but they are high-power-consuming appliances that come with heavy power consumption. The electricity bills usually skyrocket in the summers as their need increases with the temperature rise. The more your AC runs the bigger surprising bill will arrive at your doorstep.
Several factors affect the performance of your air conditioner including weather, space and design of air ducts, the layout of space, and many more. But to improve the general efficacy of your air-con and prevent electric bills from shooting up, you can simply follow some useful strategies.
Tips to lessen the usage of air conditioners:
There are many simple ways by which you can stay cozy but at the same time taper off your bills and minimize energy wastage. Let’s discuss some of them.
1. Cleaning of air conditioners:
The most important key to producing an energy-efficient bill is to look up the dusty air filters. You have no idea how much the dirty filters can affect the working of the AC. The HVAC system installed is kept safe by the filters. If you don’t wash the air filters regularly the debris will get clogged in them and hence blocking the air. In this case, the AC had to work harder which results in high electricity bills.
So, to run your AC smoothly cleaning the filters is highly recommended after two weeks or a minimum. If they are damaged get them changed immediately.
2. Yearly AC service:
Like the air filters are the indoor hygiene of air conditioners, their service is the outer maintenance of cleanliness. In the yearly service, the outdoor coils get washed and cleaned up. With this, thorough checking of coolant levels and voltage connections is done. Detection of every part is also done and is replaced or repaired if they are damaged.
The inspection team of trained and qualified technicians will guide you on how to fix small problems beforehand.
3. Smart thermostat utilization:
Do you have any idea how much extra electricity is spent more than your requirements? Use smart thermostat AC controllers which have the latest technology to run your conditioner at a required temperature. It helps in modifying your energy expenditure. Whenever you leave the house the programmed thermostats will know the temperature of your desire and save energy in your absence.
They have default settings and sensors to not fully cool your house when you are not home. Even though it is costly equipment but a very efficient investment. It will surely decrease the bills up to 25%.
4. Temperature maintenance:
Avoid running your air conditioner with steep temperature changes. The biggest reason behind an elevated bill is that the consumer makes large shifts in the temperature causing the compressor to work abruptly. You should always prep your room as well as your air conditioner before every season change.
Try increasing the temperature by one degree and see if you are comfortable with that temperature. You have no idea how much a consistent temperature is an efficient key to an economical bill.
5. Running the AC at cut-off temperature:
26 degrees Celsius is considered a good cut-off temperature. What happens in this setting is that the AC runs at the desired temperature and when it is reached, the consumption of power is cut-off. Again when the temperature of the room rises the AC detects it and the compressor starts working again. In this mode, the AC will provide the required cool temperature as well as decrease the electricity load.
6. Setting a timer:
You can bring down the electricity bill by setting a timer at night. Instead of running the AC all night, set the timer to 2-3 hours only in which you fall asleep. The alternate considerable option during warmer nights can be of turning up the thermostat a fewer degree. The compressor won’t have to work harder and thus the bill would be lower.
7. Time of appliances usage:
One of the common reasons for a shoot up in monthly bills is the time of the usage of high voltage appliances. The bigger appliances like oven, dishwasher, toaster, hair dryer, washing machine, iron, etc heat up excessively and use more electricity to work during the day.
The solution to this problem is very easy. Try to take work out of them in the evening when it’s a little cooler so that electricity consumption would be less.
8. Check out for leaks and insulation:
Cluttered windows of the old built houses are not so efficient in providing insulation and restricting the flow of air. Insulation is very important in both cold and warm seasons. Before installing the HVAC system fix the leaks in windows and upgrade the insulation system.
As the cool air won’t go out and there would be no way for hot air to come inside, the AC will run for less time so will the bill. Also, close the vents of the unused rooms so that it won’t put a strain on your AC to cool larger spaces.
9. Running the AC on fan mode:
The fan mode of the AC is a hidden treasure. It is the easiest and simple way to maintain both the temperature and bills. You don’t need to always run your AC on cool mode. Try switching to fan mode which utilizes lesser energy but still keeps the room temperature refreshing.
Also, don’t forget to install a circulating fan which helps in improving your air-con working. They can perfume well alone on cooler days too.
10. Changes in your house:
The exterior and interior of your house matter a lot in regulating a cooler environment. The walls outside should be painted in light colors as they are good reflectors of heat. Painting the exterior with dark colors would absorb the heat of the sun allowing heat to enter and thus increasing the workload of the HVAC system.
Similarly, try to plant more trees and shrubs around the house as they provide a great shade from intense heat and prevent dust from entering the house.
Conclusion:
Air conditioning is a necessary evil and we can’t ignore the fact of rising prices of electricity units day by day. So, if you are not careful the cooling system would drain out your pocket very soon. Implementing the above-mentioned techniques and tips would decrease the bill and manage the power usage.
