Worried about electricity bill while using AC? 6 tips on how you can save money

AC could be a lifesaver, but a hole maker in your pocket too. As the temperature rise, the only thing which can keep us cool is a good air conditioner which can cool up the entire room in a few minutes. 

But with strong cooling, comes bigger electricity bills and people seldom search for ways to save the electricity bills from shooting up. It can certainly happen by doing several things which are simple and easy to follow.

Here we go with 6 electricity-saving tips for this summer to save you from giant bills: 

Set Default Temperature

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) rolled out a mandate for AC manufacturers to keep the default temperature of an air conditioner at 24°C (earlier the default temperature was 20 degrees).

Studies have shown that around 6% of electricity is being saved for every degree we raise the temperature. Hence, the lower you keep your cooling temperature, the longer will the compressors work and certainly, the electricity bill will rise.

So, in case you would like to choose your AC running at its default temperature, you can certainly save a lot of electricity!

But if you really cannot bear the temperature, then you certainly fix the temperature according to your preference.

Keep it at 24 °C, instead of 16 °C

Living in a city like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai or Bengaluru where we have several vehicles and the average day temperature is around 38°C, setting the AC to 10 degrees lower is common, without even stating. Also, our human bodies are mostly between the average temperature of 36-37 degrees, so any room below that is naturally cooler. 

Now, as we all know that every degree when we lower the AC, it consumes 6% more electricity than usual. Hence, changing the habit of lowering the temperature to around 23-24°C rather than 18 degrees is a better option. 

And it will be visible and experienced, that even at a temperature like 24-23 degrees, your room will be perfectly cool than what you expect.

AC Bill

Shut other devices and save electricity

This certainly is not new and we have been listening from our parents and elders to close the extra games and windows to turn your room cooler. It certainly looks like a no-brainer when we speak of an air-conditioner and it is also a must to seal all the windows tightly so that the cool air from the AC could not leave the room, circulate and keep the temperature worth staying. 

Even the curtain plays a very vital role when it comes to cooling. You need without fail put on the curtains to save the room from the sun’s scorching heat from entering your room, and by doing this, the load on the AC will be reduced.

Heavy electronic devices like fridges, televisions and computers emit a lot of heat waves, resulting in adding more heat to the heated room. This enables the air conditioner to put on more effort to cool the room. It is suggested to switch them off before you switch on the air conditioner, and let the room cool down a bit, and eventually when it does, you can certainly switch them back on.

Also, when you rearrange the furniture, make sure to not block the air vents.

Switch on and Switch off to Save Electricity

This is a myth that you need an air conditioner to work all night to keep your room cool. There are times when it tends to cool up your room so much that you might catch cold in the extreme summer season. 

Hence, to save electricity, you must keep the AC on for a couple of hours and afterwards, switch it off for a couple of hours. The room will remain adequately cool along with saving electricity too. Indeed a good way to save your power and cool your room simultaneously. 

Fan + AC = Reduced Energy Consumption

Some people have a perception that the fan may take more strength and circulate the warm air while ac tries to cool the room down. It is a wrong thought altogether.

Keeping the ceiling fan on while running the AC can help the user to keep the room ventilated and help in circulating the cool air in all corners of the house. Hence, you will not have to constantly adjust your temperature and pressurize the compressor.

For more efficient cooling and minimum energy consumption, you must start with switching on the fan first, to drive away from the hot air from your room and eventually switch on the air conditioner.

Regular Servicing and Cleaning Saves Electricity

If you are using a new air conditioner, then it's not a problem, but if your AC is a little old and you can witness dirt accumulated in the ducts and vents, then the AC will have to work extra hard, ensuring that the cool air reaches every corner of your room and making it cooler. Hence, if you replace a dirty filter with a new one or get it serviced, this may reduce the power consumption of your air conditioner, by 5-15% to be precise. And also it helps the device from breaking down.

I would like to conclude by stating that a number of brands like LG Electronics, Samsung India, Thomson India, and more brands have added a number of AC variants which are designed for Indian weather and electricity pattern. The new air conditioners are designed to cater for the market needs and preferences of the customers- not only by cooling but with electricity consumption capacity along with the flexibility of adapting the fluctuating voltage as well. So, if you are using an AC which is more than five years old and is creating a lot of sound and cooling issues, you may further think of getting a new AC which will certainly be more cost-effective and will have electricity sensibility too.