You don’t have to sacrifice your own comfort and sanity, as you can still enjoy using your precious air conditioner while keeping your monthly energy consumption down to a more reasonable level.
1. Set The Aircon To Dry Mode
If your air conditioner has a ‘dry’ or ‘dehumidify’ option, you’re in luck! By setting the aircon to dry, the unit will remove room humidity, making the air more bearable and easier to cool. The aircon compressor will also run at less power, potentially slashing your electricity consumption by half. Go ahead and check your air conditioner and look for a water drop symbol, and choose that instead of the snowflake symbol for cool. This method is even more effective if you live in humid areas.
This is a great trick that can potentially save you a lot of money on your electricity bill.
2. Cut The Light
Direct sunlight coming in through the windows warms the house during winter. This is great in Winter, but in summer, you don’t really need all that additional warmth. So cut down both visible and UV light by closing curtains or installing removable window films or mesh covers. Consider installing shades and awnings to further help to block sunlight.
Sunlight isn’t the only light you should be concerned with. Indoor lighting also produces heat. So turn off the lights if you don’t really need them. During the day, turn off lights when natural light is enough; during the night, turn off lights that aren’t being used. This way, you reduce heat gain and also cut down energy consumption.
You may be surprised how you can keep your home cool by keeping the blinds drawn and windows closed.
3. Insulate
If your room leaks cool air like a sieve, you are basically letting money slip out of your hands. A poorly insulated room is an air conditioner’s worst nightmare. In this setup, it takes your aircon longer to cool the room while also being unable to keep cool for longer. You practically have your air conditioner doing double duty to keep the room cool. Studies have shown that 30% of a cooling system’s energy consumption is lost through air ducts. So invest in proper insulation and seal air ducts to lock in cool air. Doors and windows should be closed when running the air conditioner at all costs.
4. Check your filters!
If your aircon is full of gunk it will never cool to full capacity. Worse still, you could be blowing this gunk and particles across your home. Instead, it will be working twice as hard to cool your room. Professional air conditioning cleaning should be conducted at least once a year. Properly cleaned air conditioning units are more energy-efficient and can slash over 20% from your power consumption.
6. Circuit Breaker
Disconnecting (not just turning off) electronics at night will bring the core temperature of your house down and save electricity.
7. Plant Some Shade
Cool the air around it by planting trees, shrubs or bushes near the unit or installing an awning over it. This alone can help your cooling system operate as much 10% more efficiently.
8. Upgrade Your Thermostat
A smart thermostat adjusts temperatures to yield maximum energy savings based on your schedule. For example, it will throttle down the temperature to a more economical setting when you leave. By the time you return, your home will be just as comfortable as you left it. That’s because it learns your daily routine. Plus, you’ll have access to data showing month-over-month energy usage so that you can track your energy-saving progress. Some brands claim you can slash your electricity bill by as much as 20% when taking full advantage of energy-saving features.
9. Fan it Up
There’s no getting around it. You’ll need to use your air conditioner this summer. But there is no reason it should do all of the heavy lifting. Fans can help take some of the load off.
Fans on their own don’t make a room cooler, however, they can make a room feel 4 to 8 degrees cooler due to the wind chill effect. That means you can bump your thermostat up several degrees without a discernible difference in room temperature. You will, however, see a difference in your electricity bill.
source: electrodry + centraltexasair
