Friendly advice on how to stay cool and NOT pay too much for your Sunshine Coast home air-conditioning.
Power bills aren’t great, no one likes getting them and the first intrepid look is always kind of heart-breaking, usually followed by disbelief ‘How much?’. Then there’s the initial frustration, the anger, then the reasoning and finally the acceptance. It’s a bit like fast-tracking the seven stages of guilt… and often involves someone saying “But we’ve hardly used the air conditioning this summer”.
According to the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) power bills are expected to go up in 2022 and into 2023. There’s a drop, potentially in 2024, but with two years ahead of you now is probably the best time to start saving on your power bill. Plus, let’s face it saving money is always welcome.
With that in mind here is some friendly advice to reduce your power bill by managing your air conditioning better.
Keep your air conditioner clean
We recommend cleaning the filter every 3 months or 45 days if you have allergies.
When cleaning your indoor unit make sure to;
- Remove and Clean Air Filters making sure to remove as much dust as possible
- Dust Out Remnants of Debris from Inside
- Put everything back in place when it’s all dry
Ultimately what we’re aiming for is efficiency, so you’re not wasting energy – one of those ‘every little bit helps’ scenarios.
Consider upgrading your air conditioner
For many the idea of upgrading their air conditioner leaves a bad taste, the initial outlay can be expensive but… it can be a false economy. Meaning, that the money you save over an extended period with an efficient device will most likely be more cost-effective than keeping the older unit.
We’ve touched on this in a previous article and there are some definite benefits to both, feel free to hop on over and see what is right for you – here
Service your air conditioner regularly
Keeping it clean is one thing, keeping it working is another. We recommend a service at least once a year just before summer or just after. This allows our technician to assess any heat damage and any other damage from outdoor weather.
Regular maintenance is necessary to save money on your expenses and ensure that your air conditioner is in good working order. The best method to get the most out of your unit is to have it inspected regularly, but you should have it serviced at least once a year or twice a year if your usage is high.
How will this affect your Air conditioner’s contribution to your household power bill? By maximising efficiency and ensuring that ideal temperatures are achieved quickly.
Some common sense for air conditioner use
There are some basics to tick off that you might be surprised are frequently overlooked. Scan through the below for a bit of refresher and we know that your power bill will decrease.
- Room Size – The bigger the room the more energy is required for your air conditioner to cool it down. Make sure your Air conditioner installed is big enough for the room. For a room 30m2 to 45m2, a 5-6kW unit should cool the room. For a room 45m2 to 65m2, a 7-8kW unit should be enough to cool the room.
- Don’t wait till it’s hot – Checked your local Sunshine Coast weather? In for a hot one? Start your air conditioner earlier rather than waiting for the heat to become stifling. This will save your unit from having to work too hard and use too much energy.
- Keep doors and windows shut when operating – This gets overlooked especially if your unit is set on a timer. Leakage of cold air will mean your unit has to double down on its efforts to keep the room cool.
- Avoid using your oven or dryer – This can be especially true across the Sunshine Coast, where our sub-tropical climate means that the air conditioning unit gets used well into the night.
Need more easy ways to keep your cost down? Read our article here
Finally; Avoid Peaks when using your air conditioner
This isn’t always avoidable but if you can avoid peak hours of electricity use you’ll notice your bill go down. Peak times are on 4-8 pm on weekdays and 7 am-10 pm on weekends (weekends are pretty unavoidable especially if it’s a hot one but being mindful of peak times and considering your air conditioner usage in these hours will help lower your household power bill.
Looking for more ways to save money while running your air conditioning unit? These articles may be of interest;
7 Ways to save money running your air conditioner
10 Ways to maximise the life of your air conditioner
Questions? Contact
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