How to Save Money on Air Conditioning Bills

It costs you more money and uses more energy to heat and cool your home than any other system in your home. Typically, 44% to 50% of your utility bills pays for heating and cooling your home.

Regardless of the type of home comfort systems you have in your house, you can save money and increase comfort by properly maintaining and upgrading your equipment.

Keep in mind that an energy efficient air conditioner alone will not have as great an impact on your energy bills as using an approach that involves the entire house. If you combine proper equipment maintenance and upgrades with appropriate insulation, weatherisation and thermostat settings, you can reduce your energy bills by up to 50%.

General Cooling Tips:

* Use house fans. House fans help cool your home by circulating cool air throughout the house. They are most effective when the outside air temperature is cooler than the inside and when operated at night. An attic fan can blow away hot air that accumulates in the attic. This can go a long way to help the efficiency of your air conditioning system.
* Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible. By maintaining a minimum difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures, you’ll lower your overall cooling bill.
* Don't reduce your thermostat setting to a colder temperature than normal when you turn on your air conditioner. This will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling and unnecessary expense.
* Set the fan speed on high, except in humid weather. When it's humid, set the fan speed on low.
* Consider ceiling fans to help spread the cooled air more effectively through your home without greatly increasing your power use.
* Keep lamps and TV sets away from your air conditioning thermostat.
* Shade air-conditioning units by planting trees or shrubs, but make sure you do not block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses up to 10% less electricity than one operating in the sun.
* Close shades or curtains on east, south, and west-facing windows during the hours when the sun’s intensity is at its peak. Open curtains and windows during early morning and overnight hours when the air outside the home is cooler.
* Turn off the air conditioner if the house (or air-conditioned rooms) will be unoccupied for an extended period. Use a programmable thermostat to turn Air off and on automatically when you know the house will be unoccupied.

Here are a few more steps you can take to substantially improve your home’s energy efficiency.

Take a Holistic Approach to Total Home Energy Conservation
To achieve the maximum in total home comfort and energy savings, we recommend that you step back and look at the big picture of energy consumption in your villa. The fact is, your total home comfort and efficiency is the product of many systems: heating, cooling, lighting & electrical, plumbing and possibly others working together. It is the interplay between these systems, combined with the size, age, physical features and location of your home, and even your lifestyle, that combine to produce the total energy efficiency of your home. Changing or upgrading one system, without considering the other factors will usually result in some improvement, but may not deliver the maximum possible benefit.

If you’re building a new villa, or considering a major remodel or system upgrade, consider an Integrated Systems approach. It may cost a little more now, but will undoubtedly save you a bundle over time. Skilled engineers and technicians will look at the big picture when designing a solution for your home.