By Team JSR

Living during summer can be easy or hard at the same time. The weather can become super-hot, sweaty, and uncomfortable living conditions at this time. Hamilton and the whole Waikato region have beautiful long summers that can rise in temperature rapidly to as high as 24 °C and low as 15 °C. So we all retreat to our brilliant & dazzling air conditioner in our homes after being overwhelmed by the heat daily. Thank goodness for technology, we can live and breathe under cool air provided by the modern air conditioner (A/C). It’s a Kiwi family’s relaxation from the endless heatwave of warm air during the long summer days.

Of course, the downside of having an air conditioner in your home is that it has to work super hard during the summer. It will skyrocket your energy bill without having you know it has risen. Most energy consumption occurs during midday, as temperature peaks at this time. However, there are valuable tips to help you reduce your energy bills over the course of summer.

Apply these 6 tips to help you and your family to stay cool and still keep the A/C bills low.

1. Turn OFF your A/C during the night when sleeping

As simple as this tip is clear as night, it’s one of the most cost-effective tips. Run your A/C throughout the day and turn it off at night. Why must you ask? The answer is simple; the evening air is normally cooler, so utilize this tip by turning off the A/C and fully opening the windows to let the cool breeze in and cool your house.

For comfortable sleeping, your body doesn’t require the A/C to operate at a similar temperature as it does the whole day. So have sweet dreams while making massive energy savings.

Turn off A/C at night

2. Remote Thermostats and Timers – Set and Save

Every degree matters when you are trying to reduce your air conditioning bill over the summer.

One of the ways you can reduce energy consumption is by setting your thermostat at a relaxing temperature that won’t force your A/C to work extremely hard, but still allow you to enjoy the benefits of it. We recommend setting your thermostat to around 22 °C and 24 °C. Do note the more you can drop a single degree of cooling, the more you’ll save on your electricity bill. So make sure to never over cool your home during summer. In fact, if you set your A/C unit one degree warmer, you can cut your electricity costs up to by a whopping 10%! To measure the right temperature, set your thermostat no less than 8 degrees off the outdoor temperature. For instance, if it’s 28 °C outdoors, aim for 20 °C or 19 °C.

To maximise the energy reduction, use a thermostat with a built-in timer, so you also can set up hours of operation and temperature set up for the best energy performance. It’s only a one-time to properly set up a thermostat. But once it is done, you can set, forget, and save lots of money!

Set thermostat one time, forget and save!

3.  Shade The Home, and Close Out The Sun

Close out the sun in your home to keep your home cooler. It will make your air conditioning not work as hard as it would need if the sun is exposed in the house and reduce your electricity bill massively. During New Zealand summer, you can’t turn off the sun, but you can add shades to reduce the sun exposure.

To add some shades to your home, consider blinds, curtains, and drapes and close them. Whether you’re using wooden or Venetian blinds, roller blinds, indoor shutter blinds, lined curtains, or any other shades, keep that sunshine outside where it belongs. For windows facing the sun, use light coloured backings for blinds and curtains, as it will deflect the sun rays as well.

By adding these shades mentioned above, they’ll reduce the hot humid air and keep the sun rays out, which allows your A/C to run throughout the day at the desired temperature. Excessive heat can be dramatically reduced if your windows are installed with a strong protection cover. Tinted windows can prevent some heat as well.

Want to prevent excessive heat from coming into the home and reduce electricity bills naturally? Plant trees, vines, shrubs that can act as a defensive barrier of shades around the property.

Block excessive heat and reduce A/C costs

4. Turn OFF Electronic Devices that Trigger heat

Gaming consoles, computers, lamps, kitchen ovens are all essential home items that generate a lot of heat, which forces the A/C to work harder to keep the temperature under control. Only use them when necessary and turn them off. You’ll save costs on your A/C usage right away!

What can you do to reduce heat with these appliances?

For computers, laptops, and gaming consoles, you could use air cooling fans to reduce heat in the home. Or consider having a conversation with your family members about it.

For cooking, try having a BBQ outdoor for dinner, enjoy a salad or meals that require little cooking at all. Your home stove can heat your living room and add to your electricity bill.

Reduce electronic usage and save!

5. Keep It Clean to Reduce Costs

Clean your air conditioning regularly from dust and grime, which impacts the A/C efficiency when you don’t clean it. Test all units and clean them thoroughly, replace the filter or clean it as needed. Dirty filters can increase energy consumption and higher costs. Have your air conditioner or heat pump serviced by a professional at least every year.

Clean A/C from inside and save!

6.  Upgrade to an Energy-Efficient A/C to save costs in the long run

If you think your electricity bill is going through the roof due to your air conditioner, then it’s time to invest in an energy-saving one. Only do this if this is the only last option you have left.

Talk to our qualified A/C installers to find you the right one.

Invest in a energy-saving A/C

 Need a new A/C or want it serviced to reduce electricity costs?

JSR and its team are trusted air conditioning specialists in Waikato, providing consultation, maintenance, and installation for A/C systems. Get in touch with JSR, and we’ll book you an appointment with an A/C technician.