How to Save on Air Conditioning Expenses

With the summer fast approaching, a properly cooled home is something everyone looks forward to at the end of the day. Nobody wants to spend any longer than required in the sweaty, sweltering heat, and everybody wants to rush into the cool, calm and soothing atmosphere of their air conditioned homes or offices. But is this still possible with the sky rocketing fuel and electricity prices? Well here are a few tips to help you beat your rising expenses, and maybe even save a buck or two.

1) Higher Temperature Setting. While it may not feel too nice to walk around with your air conditioned room just a few degrees below your outside world, the following fact might help you bear the inconvenience. A drop in the temperature setting by about 8 degrees saves your electricity bill by almost 35% in summer, and 18% all through the year. When you think about it, it does feel better to run your air conditioner at a higher temperature and save energy, rather than run it with full speed ahead, and sleep under your bed covers.

2) Using Fans. Using fans circulates the air better in the room, thus allowing an even distribution of chilling effect through the room. This saves the electricity bills by almost 29%.

3) Dehumidifying. Dry hot air is always easier to bear than humid hot air. Using dehumidifiers helps greatly, not only by reducing your air conditioning costs, but also by helping your body adapt to the temperature outside, and thus improving your conditioning.

4) Curtains and Drapes. Make sure the registers are not covered. This includes window curtains and hanging plants too. Ideally, the curtains should be held about 25cms above your unit, in case of a window type air conditioner. Also make sure you use curtains to block the heat and sunlight into the room during the hottest part of the day. This not only prevents unnecessary heat accumulation in your room, but also keeps your appliance clean.

5) Proper Insulation. Check your walls for any air leaks that might affect the proper working of the air conditioner. A properly closed residence can improve your air conditioner’s efficiency by almost two times. Also make sure there are no cracks in your windows, and have the rusted parts of your window sill replaced in extreme cases.