Using an air conditioner is one of the best ways to keep cool during the summer months. The problem is that using an air conditioner will increase your electricity bills and this is something that you will want to avoid. Fortunately, there are a number of ways that you can save money on your electricity bill even when you need to run your air conditioner.
Direct sunlight is a major factor in the heat if your home during the summer months and will affect the way that your air conditioner runs. When you have a lot of direct sunlight in your home, your air conditioner will need to work harder and longer to cool your home. This is why you need to take steps to lower the amount of direct sunlight that is entering your home.
Heavy curtains are ideal for this, but they will block the amount of light that you get into the room as well. If you need to have light, you should consider thinner curtains which will limit the heat of the sunlight, but will allow the light. If you do not want to have curtains drawn all the time, you can compromise with plants. There are many people who use large leafy plants as a way of blocking direct sunlight.
A lot of people make the mistake of setting their air conditioner in a very low-temperature setting. While this will ensure that your room is very cool, it will increase your bills because the air conditioner will need to run for longer to achieve this temperature. You do not actually need to have a low setting to feel cool in your home.
Lowering the temperature in your house by 2 degrees will make a difference and will save you money. It is recommended that you set your thermostat to the temperature that you are able to handle. If you need to lower the temperature, you should only lower it by a degree or two.
There are many people who do not realise the impact that cleaning your vents can have on how your air conditioner works. When the vents are dirty, they will become clogged more easily and this will cause problems for your air conditioner. A clogged vent will increase the amount of energy needed by the system to cool your home as more power is needed to pump cool air.
If you do not clean your vents, they can also lead to damage to the system in the long-term. Replacing vents and repairing your air conditioner will cost a lot of money, but cleaning your vents will not. You do not have to hire someone to clean the vents as this is something that you can do. It can take around 15 minutes to clean the vents and you will see the effect this has on your electricity bills.
Air conditioners come with a range of settings and you need to know what they are. This is particularly important if you are going to be sleeping with the air conditioner running. If you do this, you need to know how to set a timer to turn off the unit after a certain amount of time.
You should also look at the other settings such as the fan setting which can keep you cool, but will not use the same amount of energy. The fan setting will circulate air while you rest, but will use a fraction of the energy. Of course, over time, the air will become warmer but this will be at a slower rate than when the fan is not running.
Related read: Learn how inverter AC can help you save more energy.
A well-maintained air conditioner will use less energy than one that is not maintained. There are many issues that could affect the efficiency of your system such as stuck vents and cracks in the casing. This is why you need to have a maintenance schedule which will ensure that your system is running correctly.
It is recommended that you keep a record of when your system was last serviced. You should also have a technician clean your air conditioner each year. You should also check if the manufacturer offers special rates for these services to further save money. Visit aircon-servicing-singapore.com for more information.