The battle between keeping cool and managing energy costs is an eternal one every Australian summer.
CHOICE has provided some tips to help Aussie get the balance right.
The consumer advocacy group’s cooling expert Chris Barnes said there were ways to save hundreds of dollars and still stay cool.
Here are his top five tips:
Don’t overdo it
Mr Barnes said it could be tempting to push the air con to the lowest possible temp and luxuriate in the contrasting cold, but the bigger the difference between the outdoor and indoor temperature, the more it would cost.
He said every degree cooled by more than 8°C would add 10 percent to running costs.
“For a reasonable balance of cost and comfort, you should try to keep the temperature difference to around 8°C, so if it’s a 32°C day, set your air con to around 24°C,” he said.
Mr Barnes said it was important to understand that setting the temperature to 18°C didn’t actually make the room get colder faster.
“It’ll still get to that sensible target of 24°C just as quickly, though it will then keep working hard to try and get to 18°C and use more electricity as a result.
“If fast cooling is what you need, try the ‘powerful’ or ‘jet’ setting, if it has that feature; this blasts out cold air at maximum settings. It’s noisy and may be less efficient, but it is faster.”
Don’t neglect the cleaning
Mr Barnes said opening up the unit to clean the filters and outlet would help your system run more efficiently.
He said a clogged filter could increase energy consumption by 5–15 percent.
“Regular cleaning and an occasional service will go a long way towards making sure your air con runs well and keeps you cool throughout the summer.”
Don’t forget the fans
Mr Barnes said fans were not only cheaper to buy, they were also cost-effective to run.
He said running a fan on low for eight hours a day and on maximum speed for two hours a day throughout the summer would cost less than $10 total for many fans.
“On the other hand, an air conditioner will cost between $160 and $1160 a year to run, depending on the unit size.”
Mr Barnes said while a tower or pedestal fan wouldn’t do as much as an air conditioner, but it could help people feel cooler by encouraging the evaporation effect, whereby the movement of air removes sweat from the body, resulting in a drop in body temperature.
“A fan won’t make the room cooler but it will make you feel more comfortable.”
Don’t try to cool the whole neighbourhood
Mr Barnes said to keep the cool air in and the hot air out the house need to be sealed properly.
“Use insulation strips around windows and under doors. Keep unused pet doors shut and close off parts of the house you’re not using,” he said.
Don’t make the air con battle the oven or dishwasher
Mr Barnes said many home appliances generated a lot of heat.
He said sometimes people couldn’t avoid using them on a hot day, but there were ways to help reduce the effect they had on an air conditioner’s efforts to cool things down.
“As well as looking for more energy-efficient appliances when you’re buying something new, you can change the way you run them.
“Running your dishwasher overnight by either switching it on as you go to bed or using the timer function to delay the cycle means you won’t be adding extra heat to the kitchen while you’re attempting to cool things down.
Mr Barnes said people could use a slow cooker or air fryer rather than a conventional oven, as these sorts of appliances wouldn’t heat up your kitchen as much as an oven.
“Microwaves can be effective for things like steaming vegetables or cooking rice, so you won’t have to use the cooktop.”
