Tips on How to Save Electricity on your Air Conditioner
Air conditioners have become a very common appliance in pretty much everyone’s life. Purchasing any air conditioner out of luxury has become a trend in India. Every one of them who owns an air conditioner knows how much electricity bills it increases especially when it’s summer.
Although cooling the temperature down to a certain point takes a lot of power consumption, but we believe that there are ways to minimize the electricity bill. If you’re using it regularly, then probably you’re used to paying the electricity bill in large amounts, but let’s follow some tips to save electricity for air conditioners.
Tips to Save Electricity on your Air Conditioner
Thermostat
The first tip is that you have to set the thermostat high. The lower you go, the more electricity it consumes, resulting in huge electricity bills. So when you are using it, make sure to set it to the highest temperature (preferably 23-26 degree Celsius) where you’re still comfortable. Maintaining that temperature for 6-8 hours or however, long you will keep the air conditioner turned on will save you up to 10-15% of electricity.
Drapes of Windows
When you are turning on the air conditioner it means you want the temperature of our room to be cool. So you need to keep the sun out from interfering. The sunlight that comes through your window makes the air conditioner work twice as harder than it should. You need to keep the blinds, curtains, drapes of the windows closed. Because the sunlight makes it work harder and thus it is consuming more electricity.
Inverter Technology
The older model of an air conditioner consumes a lot of electricity than the newer models. The technology in the older model is not so updated and they are not rated as any energy star for power saving. The latest inverter technology air conditioners are the ones you need to consider when you are buying a new AC. They are the most energy-efficient model of air conditioners and consume very little electricity compared to non-inverter air conditioners.
Insulated Home
By the word “Insulated Home”, we mean a home that has the material that prevents the loss of heat. Yes, it also depends on the condition of your home, whether you could minimize the electricity consumption of your air conditioner or not. If you live in an old house and it is not well insulated then the AC will keep working hard to keep the room cool but the old room will not be able to keep the cool temperature for long. This is because of the cracks on the walls and air vents which will allow the cool air to go outside. That is why your home needs to be well insulated to save electricity.
Maintenance
Maintenance is one of the most important factors here. An air conditioner is an appliance that needs maintaining every once in a while. Whether you do it by yourself or you hire any professional to do it, you must do it every 6 months. All of the parts need to be cleaned properly. The filters should be dust-free, drains should not be clogged, and the refrigerant levels should be normal. It will then consume very little energy and will do a proper job of cooling.
Lights Off
Keeping the lights on always produces a little extra heat in the room, no matter how little that might be. It is wise to keep the lights off while the air conditioner is on and trying it’s best to cool the air temperature of the room.
Ceiling Fans
After a while, you always should turn on the ceiling fans. They help circulate the cool air to every corner of the room. It reduces the workload of the air conditioner of pumping the cool air into every corner of the room. Also, this will help you set the thermostat to a higher temperature without causing any discomfort. Ceiling fans do not consume much of electricity.
Set Timer and Save
During the nighttime, you don’t need the AC to work at 100% capacity for the entire night. Set a timer for 2-3 hours and then go to sleep. Once the compressor has reached the temperature it will stop working and the cooling fans will take over. The fans will then only consume electricity for the rest of the time.
Furniture Obstruction
You must rearrange your furniture if it is blocking the air conditioning vents. I’m sure you don’t want to cool the back of a couch. Instead, you’d want to have the cool air for yourself. That is why after installing the AC, make sure that no furniture is obstructing the pathway of those air vents.
Keep The AC on Ideal Temperature
The ideal temperature for an air conditioner is around 78 degrees Fahrenheit or 25 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, electricity consumption is restricted to a very minimum.
Turn Of Other Appliances
When the air conditioner is a must use, then you have to use other appliances wisely. This is because other appliances emit heat and thus the AC would require more time to cool the space.
Conclusion
An air conditioner is something that will always increase your electricity bill. But by following these 7 tips you can minimize the electricity consumption down to a certain level. This way the maintenance of the air conditioner will also be done timely. Everyone should keep in mind these basic tips to save electricity on any air conditioner. Why pay more electric bills, when you can save some money?
