Air conditioning running costs are one of the biggest user of electricity in the household.
See our hints and tips for saving money when running your air conditioning unit.
TEMPERATURE SETTINGS – Set the wall controller or remote control to 24 degrees for cooling and 22 degrees for heating. This is a good compromise between your power bill and your comfort. Every degree difference costs an additional 10% running costs. Setting the temperature as low as possible will not cool the area faster.
USE THE AIR CONDITIONING UNITS TIMERS – Most air conditioning units have timers. Use these to turn on before you get home or need to go to bed or turn off after a certain amount of time. Newer models have smartphone apps that allow you to turn operate the air conditioning unit from your phone or computer. Do not leave your air conditioning unit on all day if you are not home. It costs far less to cool a room than have your air conditioning unit running all day to come home to a cool room.
USE CEILING FANS – Ceiling fans are a lot cheaper to run than air conditioning. Running ceiling fans with air conditioning units can help cool/heat the room faster as it helps to distribute the cool/warm air. Make sure your ceiling fan is running in the correct direction. An arrow on the fan should tell you which way for summer and winter.
KEEP DOORS AND ROOMS SHUT – Shut doors for rooms that are unoccupied. Turn off zones for ducted air conditioning for rooms that are unoccupied. Prevent conditioned air from escaping by sealing up holes and gaps to prevent draughts.
KEEP THE SUN OUT -Keeping the sun off windows is a big energy saver during summer. Shade from trees and shade cloths can greatly save on electricity costs. Keeping the sun out with drapes, blinds and curtains also have the same effect. Most outdoor air conditioning units are against the wall of the house – this prevents the sun shining onto the back of the coils. If for some reason you have the sun on your air conditioning unit then you could try and shade the unit.
MAINTENANCE – Keep your air conditioning unit well maintained. Clean filters and the correct amount of refrigerant can increase your air conditioning unit’s efficiency. Keep the outdoor unit free from grass, leaves and dirt. Do not lean anything against the outdoor unit that can help prevent airflow. Give the outdoor coil a good hose down at least once a year. Ducted air conditioning unit should be checked for leaks in the ceiling space. We offer a premium clean service where we remove dirt, mould and other foreign matter from your wall mounted air conditioning unit.
CORRECT SIZED UNITS – Make sure your air conditioning unit is the correct size for the room. Too small and it will run longer and harder than it is designed for and may void the warrenty. Too big and not only will it cost you more to buy it will also cycle on and off to often.
INSULATE THE CEILING – Insulate your ceiling. This can save up to 20% on air conditioning running costs.