Five Tips to Lower AC Heating Costs

Winter is officially here and it's cold, so we're switching our heating on more often and for longer periods to keep comfortably warm. Our energy bills will rise substantially reflecting the energy used that is required to heat our homes.

We've written a list of 5 Tips that you can do that will cost you zero $$$ and will significantly reduce your heating costs, plus there's a BONUS TIP – The Best Tip of All to save you $$$

1. Only heat the areas you really need

People often heat rooms that they don't need to by leaving doors or windows open unnecessarily. Only switch on the air conditioning area that you are in, close off areas not in use and consider bringing some activities into the general family area that is heated – kids homework, reading, watching telly, meals, browsing on the internet etc… it can bring the family together more and you can save $$$.

2. Ideal temperature setting

Set the thermostat lower to 18-20 degrees, as we usually wear warmer wooly clothes inside during winter. Rule of thumb, for each degree you reduce the heating you can save potentially 10% of your energy usage and $$$.

3. Use a ceiling fan

For better distribution of warm air, use a ceiling fan on low to circulate the air and prevent stratification of warm air sitting at the ceiling. No need to crank-up the temperature, you'll save $$$.

4. Reduce heat sinks

Good insulation inside the home – close window shutters, curtains and blinds to stop heat escaping and try to open them up to the warmth of morning sunshine, you'll save $$$.

5. Use a door snake

Door snakes are very practical and an effective solution to draught proofing doors and sealing off gaps that lets cold draughts in.

You can also buy draught proofing seals for both doors and windows at a reasonably low cost at your hardware, you'll save $$$.

*BONUS TIP*

This is the Best Tip of all to save $$$, buy the right sized air conditioner that has the appropriate capacity to service the area you need air conditioned.

An oversized AC will use more energy and cost your more. An undersized AC can also be a burden, as it will run for far too long trying to reach the desired temperature but never reaching an adequate level of warmth, resulting in the unit using more energy than a correctly sized one. The best thing to do is get advice from someone who has experience and proven 'know how' in the trade.

If you need some help to work out exactly what size AC you need for your house or room/s, visit: Choosing an Air Conditioner from our AC Buyer's Guide and save lots of $$$.

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