Every summer that rolls around seems to be hotter than the last. How many times have you heard “This summer is meant to be a scorcher!” and more often than not they are correct. As our summers get hotter our energy usage also increases to cool our home and keep our families as comfortable as possible. But unfortunately increasing energy use also increases costs, which can have a major impact on a family’s ability to save or pay for other necessities. So today we want to answer the question on how to reduce energy bills this summer.
One way to cut costs is to increase your air conditioner’s setpoint temperature by 1°C. The setpoint temperature is set to let your air conditioner know what temperature is needed to be comfortable, if the temperature goes above or below that setpoint your air con goes to work to bring it back to the comfortable temperature you set. So by increasing the setpoint by 1°C in summer means your air conditioner has to do less work to get to the set comfortable temperature, which in turn equates to 10% less energy use and a saving of 200 kilos carbon pollution. All that from just 1 degree! Below is 11 more tips to help you reduce your energy bills this summer.
Cool tips on how to reduce energy bills this summer:
1. Make sure your thermostats and timers are set to when you are normally at home. There is no point leaving your air con on cooling empty rooms.
2. Just because your air con may be out of site, doesn’t mean it should be out of mind. It needs to be inspected regularly as normal wear and tear may be occurring and making your system run inefficiently.
3. Don’t forget to also inspect your air filters and replace if need be. If they become clogged your air con has to work harder to move air through the system, which will use a lot more energy.
4. Insulation is a great way to keep the cool air from escaping while also reflecting the hot outside are away. Make sure to check both roof and wall insulation has been installed properly.
5. If possible, have your thermostats installed away from heat sources (kitchen, windows, direct sunlight etc) as these can trigger your system telling it that the area is too hot when it actually isn’t.
6. Don’t cool rooms that are never used. Do you have spare or storage rooms that rarely get used? Their doors should also be closed so as to not lose cool air into rooms that aren’t being used.
7. On the other hand you need to keep doors open of rooms that are being cooled. This helps to circulate the air back to your air intake. If the intake is receiving cooler air then it doesn’t have to work as hard saving on energy use.
8. Utilising ceiling fans can dramatically reduce your energy consumption as they help to move cool air around your home. They are also beneficial overnight if a fan is cool enough it means you don’t have to turn the air conditioner on.
9. Blinds and curtains are great ways to keep solar generated heat from entering your home. When you are out during the day it is best to keep them closed so minimal heat enters your home while the air conditioner isn’t running.
10. Do you leave lights or computers on? You should get in the habit of turning them off when not being used as they not only use energy but they are also heat sources. By reducing heat sources you’re reducing the amount of work your air con needs to put in to get your house to the specified temp.
11. Try to avoid cooking meals that need a lot of power and heat over an extended period of time. If you can, cook meals on your BBQ outside as much as possible or cook quick meals inside that only need to use heat for a short period of time.
By applying just a couple of these energy reducing tips during summer you will see decreases in energy use and your power bills. The more that you can apply, the more substantial savings you’ll see. The extra money saved can go a long way to saving for that long awaited holiday or to ease the pressure of other bills.
Have any of your own cool tips on how to reduce energy bills this summer? Let us know in the comments below. Or find out how much it costs to run different types of air conditioning units here.
