Air Conditioning energy savings tips

In most homes the air conditioner is the single largest consumer of energy. Air conditioners put a strain on most people’s energy costs in the summertime. High temperatures make it harder for the unit to work most effectively. Using energy efficient air conditioning can dramatically reduce one’s energy costs- some by forty percent.

Air conditioners employ the same operating principles and basic components as your home refrigerator. An air conditioner cools your home with a cold indoor coil called the evaporator. The condenser, a hot outdoor coil, releases the collected heat outside.

Each air conditioner has an energy-efficiency rating that lists how many Btu per hour are removed for each watt of power it draws. For room air conditioners, this efficiency rating is the Energy Efficiency Ratio, or EER. For central air conditioners, it is the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, or SEER. These ratings are posted on an Energy Guide Label, which must be conspicuously attached to all new air conditioners. Many air conditioner manufacturers are participants in the voluntary EnergyStar® labeling program. EnergyStar-labeled appliances mean that they have high EER and SEER ratings.

When purchasing energy efficient units it’s important to take note of the energy efficiency rating. This minimum rating was increased about three years ago, so manufacturers are no longer able to build units below the new minimum. The increase in ratings gives the consumer a thirty percent decrease in energy consumption.

A few tips that will help you further save money:

Leave the thermostat at one temperature. Dropping the temp to cool the house quickly will not cool the house any faster. If the thermostat is set to seventy eight it will take the same amount of time to get to seventy eight as it would if it was set to seventy.

For the most energy savings the thermostat should stay at seventy eight in the summer and sixty eight in the winter.

While natural sunlight is perfect for energy efficient lighting, closing the curtains when not in the room will help the house retain cool air. Opening the curtains at night will allow heat to escape as well.

Keep the air filter clean, check it every couple of months or so. A clean filter can increase efficiency by five to fifteen percent.