How can I reduce my air conditioning bill?

You can reduce your AC bill by using your air conditioner efficiently and carefully. There are many tips on how you can do it, and all of them have one of these three underlying ideas behind it. You should either:

• Change the way you use your air-con
• Improve your home insulation
• Alter your home surroundings to help the air con efforts

To have a good start, you need a good and reliable air conditioner that is installed by a professional AC installer. This installer has to have a licence to operate in Australia, so always work only with true professionals.

This doesn’t mean that you have to pay an arm and a leg for proper air conditioner installation. Ask for quotes from different experts on Service Seeking and shop around for the best offer. You will get the quality, but you will also get a fair price that way.

Regular Air Con Servicing

It is necessary for your air con to work properly in order to be able to work, spending an optimal amount of electricity. When filters are jammed with dirt or the compressor isn’t as efficient as it should be – it means that your air conditioner is spending electricity without delivering you enough cool air in return.

That is why you need to service it at least once a year, and you need to replace the filters at least every two months. If your air-con produces weird noise or you notice leaking or even frost, it is time for servicing.

Appropriate Air Conditioner Size and Type

It is much more economical to use a window air conditioner than to use a split system one. On the other hand, the window air con blocks the sunlight, it is a bit noisy, and it isn’t as elegant and sleek as a split system.

Before you decide on your aircon installation, talk to the installers and ask for tips about the type and the size of your aircon. A conditioner that doesn’t have enough capacity to cool down your room will work 100% of the time at its maximum, attempting to do its job. That’s a lot of electricity.

An air conditioning system that is too big and has a much larger capacity is also a bigger energy consumer. It will use more electricity to cool down space that can be cooled down using a far more economical device.

Check the Energy Star Ratings on your Air Conditioner

Energy star ratings mark the energy efficiency of a device. The more starts your air conditioner has, the more energy efficient it is – meaning, it can do a good job using less electricity than another device with the lower star rating.

Set the Optimal Temperature and Keep It

There are studies from Finland that showed that people are most efficient in temperatures around 25-26 Celsius. That should probably be the temperature you should set your air conditioning in the summer.

Another important thing is to pick a temperature and maintain it. Don’t expect your air con to work faster if you set the temperature lower than you actually need it. It will not be faster, and it will just spend more power – costing you more. Keep it steady and let it work in the most energy-efficient way.

Using Eco and Smart Modes

Every brand has its own version of an Eco mode. For some brands, it means that your air conditioner will always be at the same temperature or that it will lower its setting a bit.

On other brands, it means that it will automatically shut down when the temperature is reached or when it senses that there is nobody in the room. Whatever it is, this mode always helps to trim down some dollars off your bill. If your air conditioner doesn’t have this option, you can even install it.

Using Solar Panels

Installing solar panels pays off in time if you live in a sunny area. Installing them means that some of your electricity, even the one spent on your air conditioner, comes free from the sun. Here is all you need to know about the solar energy used for residential homes in Australia:

Installing External Shades

Window shades will, obviously, guard you from direct exposure to the sun. That’s why it is essential that you have good and strong shades that can provide you with good protection.

But why external? Because of the glass on your windows. When you have internal shades, your window glass is still exposed to the sun. It warms up and emits that warmth inside. When you have the external shades, they stop the sun even before it manages to warm up your windows. That’s why they are more efficient and keeping the room cool. A cooler room means less electricity spent on your air-con as it has less work to do,

Insulate Your Attic

Your attic is the place where the sun hits the first. The air there gets warmed up and sooner or later, it turns your ceiling into a heater. Protecting it with proper insulation and even choosing light colours for your roofing means eliminating one more heat source in your home. Consequently, less cooling will be needed.

Insulate or Change Windows

Check how well your windows insulate your rooms. If they are not well insulated, either change your windows or improve your insulation. You can add special glaze to your glasses or sun-reflecting films. You should opt for energy-efficient window frames. As your last resort, at least do the best you can with the shades.

All these tips work well, and bit by bit, they will drastically reduce your electricity bills. Your air conditioners will not have to work full time in order to make up for the heat that enters through badly insulated windows or opened doors.

Of course, you need to make sure that your air conditioning installation is done properly, because that is the only way to be sure that your air-con system works at an optimal level.

Get quotes for aircon installation from Service Seeking installers that get the job done. They will give you estimates, as well as some tips about your best options, so try them and pick the best one.