Tips to save power while using air conditioners at home

As winter is prepping to sign off in this part of the globe mercury has begun surging at many places in Kerala. People are already expecting a harsher summer in March and April this year when the temperature is likely to soar. This is also the time when those who live in concrete houses line up to buy air conditioners. If not used carefully, air conditioners could give you a shock in the form of electricity bills. A 1 ton AC would take up to 6 units of electricity if switched on for 12 hours.

Follow these power saving tips while using air conditioners in houses

» Using white paint on the exterior walls and on the terrace, building sun shades over windows and walls and also planting lots of trees around the house would help reduce the heat that enters the house.

» Choose air conditioners that suit the size of the room in which they are installed.

» Look for the BEE star label while purchasing AC. The one with the 5 stars label is the most efficient.

» Make sure that air from outside doesn’t enter the air-conditioned room through windows, doors or other openings.

» Avoid objects like filaments bulbs that make the room warmer.

» Up to 5% electricity could be saved when the temperature setting of the AC is increased a degree each from 22 degree Celsius. So, it is better to set the thermostat at 25 degree Celsius.

» Clean the AC filter every month.

» Take care not to fix the condenser unit of the air conditioner in the south west direction of the house.

» Make sure that there is enough air circulation around the condenser.

» Try using ceiling fans or table fans when the temperature is not too harsh.

» Inverter air conditioners that have better energy saving abilities are available in the market today. Data suggests that Keralites mostly purchase such energy saving inverter air conditioners.