Summer time comes with a lot of fun and outdoor
activities. But as the mercury levels rise, so do the costs of air conditioning
to keep your indoors cool and comfortable.
Here are our top tips for cutting
down on the AC
bills, whether you are a tenant or an owner.
1. Maintain
the Cooling System
Regardless of what type of AC you are using or the
temperature you prefer, caring for your equipment can cut on costs. Therefore,
clean or replace your AC filters regularly. Dirty AC filters prevent air from
flowing smoothly and force the units to work harder. Cleaning or replacing the
filters every month can lower your AC’s
energy consumption by anywhere between 5% and 15%. Also, if you use a central
cooling system, ensure that your floor registers are not blocked by furniture or dust.
2. Avoid
Cooling the Neighbourhood
Most homes, especially the old ones, have leakages
that allow cold air from inside to seep out into the environment. It could be a
poorly insulated loft, worn-out doors, window seals, or cracks.
You could sign up for a home energy audit to find out
just how well your energy efficiency is holding up. If you find an energy audit
too expensive (remember we are trying to cut on costs here), you can just do it yourself. Go outside your house and
run your hand over the windows and doors, checking if cold air is escaping.
Seal any leaky windows and add insulation around do.
3. Use a Fan
Yo’ll be surprised to know that a ceiling fan can
make your interior feel 10 degrees cooler while using only 10% of the amount of
energy that would go into a central air conditioner. You can also enhance the
efficiency further by using smart ceiling fans that are controllable from an
app.
4. Block the
Sun
When a lot of sunlight is penetrating your house, it
heats the furniture and air inside, causing your AC to overwork. Be sure to
keep the curtains, blinds, awnings, and drapes drawn. We recommend using medium-coloured curtains that have white
plastic backings for the best results. Besides, make use of interior/ exterior
blinds, solar screens, shutters, and window films. You could reduce heat gain
by up to 33%!
5. Avoid
Activities that Build up Heat During the Day
Making lunch on the stovetop, using the clothes dryer
or dishwasher, and leaving lights on, TVs, computers, etc., are all things that
increase your AC energy consumption. You could try saving these activities
until later in the day or do them outside. Who doesn’t like a nice barbeque in
the backyard during the summer?
Furthermore, you could avoid cooking by preparing a
salad or use the microwave instead of the oven. One
more thing; turn off all unnecessary lights.
6. Crank Up the Thermostat
Of course, we don’t recommend this during the day when
it’s hot. In the night time and when you leave the house, however, you should definitely turn the heat up. Contrary to
popular opinion, leaving the air conditioner running when you leave the house
does not save money. The most inexpensive approach to running an air
conditioner is to turn the thermostat up whenever you leave the house.
Moreover, you can take advantage of the nice cool breeze that blows at night. Open the
windows on both sides of your house,and
the air will flow in, gently cooling your house
while you enjoy a peaceful sleep.
7. Never Set
Too Low
Remember that every degree you can do without
translates to savings on energy consumption. Set it just low enough for you to
be comfortable and high enough not to use too much power. As a general rule,
don’t go 8 degrees less than the outdoor temperature because the temperature
gradient also influences how much heat is
dissipated.
8. Place the
Thermostat on the Right Door
The position of your thermostat influences energy
consumption on cooling a great deal. For instance, having it on a wall that
gets a lot of heat or next to a hot window will cause the thermostat to
interpret a higher room temperature than it actually
is. Consequently, the AC will run more often.
It is not very hard to save on AC energy consumption
during the summer. Just think of anything that causes the room to heat up or
overworks the AC and eliminate or reduce it. Do
you have any more ideas for saving on AC costs? Share with Chalcot.
For any query
call us on 0207 722 2533
Reach us at http://chalcot.com/
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