Top tips to cut your air conditioning costs

| October 11, 2019

Now that the warmer weather is approaching, many Australians are bracing themselves for the enormous costs of using air conditioners. As the weather gets hotter, the bills get higher.

However, these costs don’t necessarily have to be so high. They depend on a lot of factors within your own home. You can always make a few changes here and there to save some money. Here are some of the best ways to save money on using your AC unit.

Breeze through the night

It’s no secret that summer nights can get extremely hot. People tend to leave their ACs running throughout the night because of the temperature. However, this might not be necessary while you’re asleep.

The ambient temperatures are usually lower at night, which already reduces the need for AC use. On the other hand, you can also create a breeze by opening all the windows, to get a quick chill. Once you’re already asleep, the temperature won’t matter and you won’t feel too hot.

If you still find it too uncomfortable to fall asleep, set your AC on a timer. Half an hour after you fall asleep, the slight temperature rise won’t bother you. You’ll wake up to a fresh morning either way.

Time that thermostat well

When it comes to saving up on air conditioning, every degree counts for something. This is especially true for all those times that you’re not in the home. You probably spend a lot of time at work and outside, which means a part of the air conditioning is sometimes wasted. Most people just turn off their air conditioning when they leave the house unless there are other members of their family that are still inside.

Still, turning it on and off every time you come home is going to produce some mediocre results. It’s always going to be hot when you return, and you still waste a bit of air conditioning when you go outside. Because of this, it would help if you had a timer and schedule to help you out.

If you always leave home in a predictable time and fashion, this means you could set the AC unit to turn on and off depending on the time of day. This would cause you minimal wasting of electricity and you could come home to a comfortable oasis any time.

Keep it shady

The best way to keep the heat out would be to minimize the effects of the sun. Even when your windows are down, the sun’s rays still heat up your place through the glass. Because of this, you need to make sure there’s as little sunlight as possible whenever you don’t need it. Make your home into a bastion of shade.

The most obvious way to do this would be with the help of blinds. Most of your windows should have them, and they can be useful in keeping the sun out.

Curtains are another great option that also helps add some shade. The sun will still heat up your windows, though. This heat will easily transfer to the air in your home, which means you need something even better.

Awnings can help you cover the whole window, thus preventing any sunlight from getting there. This is why so many Australian homes utilize this wonderful piece of shading equipment.

Plus, window awnings are an attractive detail to any window. If you prefer going the more natural route, you could always plant a tree near your home. A tree would give your home plenty of natural shade and cooling. It would also add some more natural beauty to your yard.

Minimise heat sources

You might not notice it at first, but there are lots of things that produce heat in your home. Things like your TV and computer generate heat, even though it’s not immediately noticeable when you stand near them. If you push your computer to its limits, you might be able to feel its heat coming through the case.

This heat doesn’t just evaporate into nowhere, it slowly warms your home and makes the AC even more of a necessity. Cutting down on this heat generation could do a lot of good for your AC bills.

Obviously, you can’t just up and stop using technology. Try not to leave the TV on in the background all day. The ambient noise doesn’t make up for the amount of heat it creates. If you have a laptop, you could try to use it in your yard occasionally. You get a bit of fresh air and you don’t generate any extra heat inside the house.

Keep those vents clean

If you want to keep the ambient temperature and stuffiness down, you need to make sure that your home is well-ventilated. The flow of air is very important when it comes to lowering temperature and the cost of air conditioning.

Pay some extra attention to your home’s vents. A lot of Australian homeowners underestimate their importance. Don’t ever cover them with drapes and furniture. They serve an essential function in cooling your home. If they aren’t free to do their job, your AC unit is going to have to work overtime to make up for it. This only increases how much energy it uses.

Make sure you clean the vents from time to time. With the amount of air passing through them, it’s inevitable that they will gather dust and grime over time. Because of this, it’s important that you clean them from time to time.

Keep the AC unit fresh

Like any piece of technology, the AC unit needs occasional maintenance and care. This is because it can get backed up and slow down. It wouldn’t hurt if you took the time to clean and fix it up before summer rolls around. Many Australian homes are cooled with faulty air conditioners that might be in need of some serious repairs.

The weather in Sydney can get pretty harsh during the summer. This is why you should make sure to find yourself some affordable air conditioning repair in Sydney before the season gets too hot. Even late spring might not be exempt from the high temperatures. Once your AC is working at maximum capacity and efficiency, you can expect the bills to be substantially lower.

Buy some new equipment

At the end of the day, your AC unit might just be old. If the bills are sky-high despite your best efforts to lower them, the problem could just be the hardware of the unit. In these scenarios, it’s best to let the machine go and try to find a new one.

This is a common problem in many homes, and homeowners are oblivious to the state of their AC unit. Once the unit starts to deteriorate, buying a new one becomes the most efficient solution. You don’t want an old piece of machinery to waste all of your power without being effective. Make sure the new unit is properly set up by the time spring ends.

Conclusion

Your heating bills don’t have to be all that high. There are lots of ways to keep them in check with some minor changes. As long as you’re paying attention to your home’s efficiency and your AC unit’s health, you should be able to bring the costs to a minimum. You’ll be able to keep cool inside your home without having to worry about going broke from all the AC usage.

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