Air conditioning can help you maintain a comfy and snug environment by reducing excess heat and humidity. It can improve the air quality in your home, reduce the risk of allergies and asthma and prevent your electrical appliances from overheating. Your air conditioner will also be the biggest energy consumer in your home. With frequent use comes big electrical bills. You do not have to get used to high utility bills simply for having an AC unit; you can lower your power bills even when running your unit every day.
According to a recent International Energy Agency (IAE) report, air conditioners consume more than 10% of electricity produced globally, with an average air-con unit using about 16% of the total electricity you use at home. There are, however, some very simple and practical tips to reduce your AC bill during the summers and still maintain a comfortable indoor environment.
- Make sure your home is well-insulated
One of the major reasons that lead to massive energy consumption is a poorly-insulated home. Older houses typically have insufficient insulation. Cracks are more common, and seals are more worn and weathered. The solution is to have a contractor perform a home energy audit to ensure the insulation in your home is up to par. An energy auditor can check your house for leaks/cracks and makes recommendations to make your home more energy-efficient.
- Turn the unit off at night.
Keep your air conditioning off at night. The evening air is naturally cooler, so you can take advantage of that by turning off the AC and opening a window. For more comfort while sleeping be aware that your body does not need the AC unit to run at the same temperature as it does during the day.
- Keep it at 24°C, instead of 18°C
Always set your AC to 10 degrees lower because our body temperature averages between 36-37 degrees, so any room below that is naturally cool for us. For every degree that we lower on the AC, we consume 6% more electricity. You will realise that even at 24°C, your home is perfectly cool.
- Fan + AC = Reduced Energy Consumption
Keep the ceiling fan switched on when the AC is running. This will keep the room ventilated, and cool air will be circulated in all corners. You will also not have to keep decreasing the temperature. For efficient cooling with minimum energy usage, start with switching on the fan and driving away the hot air in your room and then switching on the AC.
- Shield your indoors from sun rays
Block the sun rays from getting into any room to keep off the hot air. By closing windows, blinds, shutters or drapes, you will be keeping the hot air and the sun’s rays out, so your air conditioning does not have to run all the time to maintain the optimal temperature. You can keep the sun out in many ways, including:
- Drawing and closing the curtains, blinds, curtains or shutters
- Closing sun-facing windows and doors
- Use tints on the windows to block the sun
- Using light coloured backings for curtains to deflect the sun rays
Giving ideas for easy living, Ramtons believes in making your shopping journey easy from the point of purchase to the point of use. Our appliances are carefully selected, designed, and tested thoroughly and individually so that you can get a durable and affordable kitchen. Ramtons aims to make lives in the home and kitchen easier through innovative products, ample availability and strong after-sales support. Our focus is always on making our customer’s lives more convenient. Ramtons believes in providing prompt after-sales services to keep customers happy long after they’ve made a purchase. Ramtons is all about combining functionality, convenience and modernity in their products, and they do the same for their range of air conditioners for sale in Kenya.