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Know How to be Energy Efficient While Using Air Conditioner at Home: The Tips

You only need to stay a hot day without a heating and air conditioning unit to appreciate the role air conditioners play in making everyday life comfortable. However, to some people, enjoying the cool air in their home means paying a hefty utility bill, which should not be the case. It is possible to get that lovely cool feeling every time you enter your home without paying over the odds for your utility bills with a few tricks. If you are worried about the cost of running your air conditioner and you would like to lower the bills, you should implement the following tips for great utility bill saving.

effiecient use of Air Conditioner at Home

Regularly Maintain Your Air Conditioner

If you are using a modern air conditioner, it should be able to provide you with all your cooling needs without greatly affecting your utility bills. All modern air conditioners are rated energy efficient, which means that as long as they are functioning at their maximum efficiency, they will offer energy savings. However, if you have been noticing a significant increase in your utility bills, it could be an indication that your air conditioner needs maintenance. When your air conditioner is not functioning optimally, it takes longer to cool your home, which can significantly increase the utility bill.

Your air conditioner should be regularly maintained for it to perform at peak efficiency. Simple tasks like changing filters can significantly improve the performance of your conditioner. It is imperative to ensure that your conditioner is checked by a professional technician at least once annually. During the maintenance, you should ask the technician to check whether the refrigerant needs recharging. An undercharged refrigerant can affect the performance by up to 20 percent. The technician should also check the airflow over the indoor coil, which can degrade over time affecting the performance. Correcting the airflow can improve the efficiency of your air conditioner up to 10 percent resulting in significant energy savings. The technician should also check the duct system to ensure it is in excellent condition. Sealing the duct can offer as much as 15 percent in energy savings.

Other Energy Savings Tips Include

  • Use Your Windows: Instead of running the air conditioner at night, you should take advantage of natural ventilation. In climates where it cools off at night, you should open the windows at night and shut them in the morning to trap the cool air allowing you to enjoy cool air for a few hours in a day before you can turn to the air conditioner. You should also consider installing window coverings to prevent heat gain through the windows during the day. Adopting this technique can provide you with energy savings of up to 75 percent depending on how you implement it. If you are only using one room in your home, you should also consider using a portable air conditioner instead of cooling every part of your home.

 

  • Use Your Thermostat Efficiently: To save energy, you should always avoid setting your thermostat to a low setting. You should remember that even a small change in temperature can save you significantly on your energy bills. The best trick is to set your thermostat to the highest comfortable temperature. When stepping out of your home for a significant time, you should keep your home warmer than usual to prevent the conditioner from turning on when it is not needed. You should also not set your thermostat to a colder setting than usual as it will not make your home cool faster, but it could result in unnecessary expense. You should also consider turning off the conditioner if you will be going out for the whole day or for a significant part of the day. To save energy you can use modern conditioners that enable the remote control to let you turn on your conditioner some minutes before you reach your home.

 

  • Take Advantage of Fans and Ventilation Strategies: Using a fan can make your room feel cooler by up to 10 degrees, and fans use about 10 percent of the energy of a central air conditioner. You can also take advantage of the modern fans that can be controlled remotely with an app to let you easily manage the fan speeds without standing. However, you should always remember to turn off the fans as you walk out of the house as fans cool people, not the house. You can also Install MVHR system in your house.

 

  • Avoid Heating Your Home with Appliances and Lighting: On a hot day, you should avoid using appliances that would heat your home like an oven and instead grill outside. You should also install efficient lighting that does not add heat to your home like LED lighting.

Read More:

Guide to different types of air conditioners

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