Some people can spend sums on upgrading their homes with the best centralised air conditioning systems around, especially through companies like Mode Heating and Cooling. The thing is, you need to make every last dollar you invested count. Sydney Morning Herald personal finance editor John Collett writes:
It’s been a long, hot summer for most of us and with the run of high temperatures set to continue, air conditioners will keep getting a good workout. But many of us are wasting money through lazy energy consumption and bad habits.
Australians have taken to air conditioning in a big way with an estimated 9.2 million units working to keep the summer heat away. Air conditioning is particularly energy hungry with many people wasting money on unnecessarily high electricity bills because they are ignoring a few simple ways to reduce their cooling costs.
The onset of summer does not look any kinder to Australians. Some scientists say that climate change triggered a record heatwave last year and can wreak more havoc this year, which kicked off recently with a 13-day stretch in Longreach, QLD that registered at past 40 degrees Celsius. When you are looking for ways to keep the cold nominal at home but not reap exorbitant utility bills in the process, just remember that the solutions are not hard to tackle.
Out of the House
Some residents often make the mistake of leaving the air conditioner on when there’s nobody home. When you consider that most of the household may be at work or in school even on a cool day, the potential for a higher utility charge exists too clearly. Collett quoted an official from an energy-related website as saying that the most prevalent option to stop that is to make sure the system is shut down before you leave. Your AC provider may also recommend installing a thermostat that will time the hours of operation, say, during the evenings.
Sacrificing the Cold
When things are too hot, people’s first instinct is usually to set the air conditioner a little lower down the thermometer. Collett says the ideal temperature for an air conditioner during the summer is at a balmy 22 C°. Any degree lower, however, may see an additional 10% on the bills.
Optimisation
An air conditioning system, like any machine, will be prone to some hiccups. Your preferred air conditioning provider can recommend a periodic maintenance programme to keep the unit in top condition.
There will always be a way to utilize cheap air conditioning solutions, especially when you have a company like Mode Heating and Cooling in your corner. Enlist their help and you can stay cool all summer long.
(Source: Keep cooling costs low as mercury rises, SMH, February 7, 2014)
