Lower your AC bill now – Discover quick and easy tips to reduce AC bill this summer – Get high chill with reduced ac power consumption at your home now
For your summer, I have some great news – you can reduce the AC power consumption at your home, and it is not that difficult. During the summer season, many of us make the smart choice to rent an AC unit or purchase an air conditioner with a 5 or 6-star rating. Either way, we get the comfort of cooler temperatures at our home; but end up paying high air conditioner bills. Later, we wonder how to save money on air conditioning bill.
Welcome aboard to the typical Indian summer worry of every homeowner – how to reduce AC bills. And congrats, as we got the right answer to say bye-bye to your problem. You see, your air conditioner bill depends on the AC power consumption. With these few quick and easy tips, your home will save on electricity bills while keeping you comfortably cool. Now, these tips are useful before you buy or rent an air conditioner. In case you already have an ac unit, then do check out our tips on How to save electricity with air conditioner. So, let’s start to spill the beans about air conditioning tips to save energy
AC Power consumption
Here are the best ways to save on your AC bill:
a. Choose the right tonnage
b. Select the right type of AC unit
c. Right location
d. Correct use
You can read more about how to reduce your AC bill, right below.
Right tonnage
Your air conditioner runs on a cooling capacity; this is measured in tons. When you go online or to a shop to purchase an AC unit, the first thing your shop vendor will ask is how much tonnage. Usually, for split or window types of AC units, the tonnage varies between 0.8 ton to 2 tons.
AC Tonnage matters
Now, to ensure better AC power consumption, you need to get the right amount of tonnage fitted for your room. You see, tonnage tells you the amount of power your ac will need to cool your room. And different brands of AC units vary in their ac power consumption for the same tonnage. This is due to better use of technology by one brand over the other. When buying an AC, it is best to specifically ask and compare the ton to power ratio of various models of air conditioners that are available in your budget. Many air conditioner power consumption charts are available online to connect the dots.
Your room size matters for the AC’s tonnage
There is also another significant fact for choosing the AC tonnage – the size of your room. You know your air conditioner’s capacity is limited to a place or an area of your home. Now, the tonnage of the AC unit is mainly decided by the size of your room. A 2 ton AC is too big for the smaller bedroom at your home, while a 1 ton AC is too little for your living hall. These size misfits can lead to wasteful AC power consumption. Optimum AC power consumption is all about fitting the right AC tonnage in the correct size of the room. As a thumb rule, 1 ton AC unit can comfortably cool a floor area of 120 to 150 sqft. And most of your typical bedroom sizes are approximately 150 sqft in size. So get a 1 ton AC unit in your bedroom to stay chilled, with little or zero wastage of the power consumed.
Right type
Airconditioner units are commonly available as the split type and the window type. Most designed homes prefer split units for their stylish looks and noise free cooling; however, the split units cannot be fitted correctly in every home. Without the correct fitting, your AC power consumption will only increase.
Window AC unit 
Split AC Indoor unit 
Split AC Outdoor unit
Type of unit can save your AC’s power consumption
You see, split units are a combination of the beautiful sleek looking rectangular IDU – indoor unit, and the strong and sturdy ODU- the outdoor unit. Basically, the ODU is the compressor unit that catches the hot air from outside and cools it down to your comfort levels. IDU is the part which throws this cooled air into your room. As you may have guessed, the two parts are connected with pipes. Sorry, this may be getting too technical, I understand. But stay with me as these pipes are essential for your split AC power consumption. The shorter the tube, the better the is the cooling, and you eventually save on your AC power consumption.
Popular AC brands such as LG, Samsung, or Hitachi suggest the pipe length to be between 3m (10ft) to 6m (20ft). Anything above this length reduces the cooling effect. So, in case your home cannot fit the IDU and ODU within 20ft distance, it is best to go with the window AC type.
Right shade
Once you find the right AC type with the apt tonnage capacity; your next task for reducing AC power consumption is to find the right location. Placing your AC unit in a cool shaded outdoor area enhances its efficiency. Let me explain.
Air conditioner units are like your warriors, constantly fighting to beat the summer heat. I am sure you understand the massive amounts of heat your AC consumes and cools down daily. High summer temperatures make the outside air hotter and thereby making your AC unit work harder to cool the air. Even with the best of air conditioners, the peaking summer heat increases your AC’s power consumption.
Shading your AC unit reduces the power consumption
Thankfully, there is a simple trick to control and also reduce your air conditioner’s electricity bill – place the AC unit on a shaded wall. When you place your AC unit in shade, away from direct sun rays, it captures cooler air. For your AC, cold air from the shaded outdoor area is easier and quicker to cool down than the hot air from an area under direct sunlight.
Studies have shown that placing your ODU or window AC in a shaded area can increase its efficiencies by 10%; that’s a substantial reduction for saving on your AC electricity bill. Some researchers have even claimed that shading your AC unit can reduce electricity bills by 50%. My advice is to fit your window AC or split AC’s ODU on the shaded wall. North facing facades are your best pick for an AC unit; it never receives any direct sunlight. Your second-best pick is the south-east facing wall which receives direct sun only during the morning hours. And just in case you don’t have a spare spot to locate your AC on the north or south-east walls; build one to cover your AC unit in the shade. Trust me, shading your air conditioner will be rewarding both in cold temperatures and reduced AC power consumption.
Right use
To use air conditioner economically, you need to tune the cooling to an ideal temperature that is both comfortable and efficient. Now, I am sure you will find a comfortable range to suit your personal liking. My concern here is to help you find the best temperature for AC to save money.
Imagine yourself outdoors in a hot, sweaty day, and you reach home to switch on the AC units full blast – lowest temperature, highest fan speed. In your desperation to escape the heat and cool down, you force to start the AC unit to run on full capacity. It’s like asking yourself to wake up in the middle of deep sleep and start running on an uphill slope. You are bound to tire out soon, feel dehydrated and just simply shut down. A similar thing happens to your AC unit when set to cool at the lowest temperature, with full fan speed. Such a setting is definitely not a good way to save money on air conditioning bill.
Correct temperature setting saves on electricity
To use your air conditioner economically, you need to give it time, show some patience. I know right out from the sun, you must feel awfully hot; and a chilled air-conditioned room is your only respite. But our bodies are so designed, that it feels comfortable only within a range of temperatures, not the extreme highs or lows. The trick is to spot the normal AC temperature for the human body, as per the summer temperatures in your city. Believe it or not, our bodies feel comfortable at 36 to 37 deg C of air temperature, not 18 or 20 deg C. Now, this doesn’t mean you set your AC unit at 36 deg C of cooling. Actually, according to the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), for comfortable living, you need to maintain the room temperatures at around 36 to 37 deg C.
Now during a typical summer day, our homes keep getting hotter with the rising and also the setting sun. There is plenty of heat gain and temperature hikes in one single day. So, to maintain an average temperature of 36 to 37 deg C, your AC unit should be set to cool consistently at 24 deg C. You will be amazed to know the impact of such a simple air conditioning tip to save energy – every 1-degree increase in a temperature setting of your AC saves electricity by 6%. With this fact nugget, reducing your AC power consumption is as simple as tapping a button on your AC remote.