In the U.S., the majority of homes have air conditioners -- two-thirds of homes to be exact. Collectively, these homeowners spend $11 billion every year to run their air conditioners. Not do air conditioners impact American bank accounts, but they also contribute to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Several usage strategies can help you enjoy your air conditioner in a way that helps both your wallet and the planet.
Old, bulky air conditioners can be energy hogs and also inefficient. Bigger isn't better. Ensure your air conditioner's capacity is sized just right for your room or home. For example, a 350-square foot bedroom only needs an air conditioner with an 8,000 British Thermal Unit/hour rate BTU/hr, not the 30,000 BTU/hr that a 1,500-square foot living room would need. The recommended room size is listed on the air conditioner's label. Otherwise, consult the U.S. Department of Energy online space guidelines (see Resources). Additionally, you might want to ditch your old air conditioner for one that's part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Star program. Generally, Energy Star air conditioners use 10 percent less energy than their conventional counterparts.
If your air conditioner uses the traditional box design that causes part of the unit to protrude outdoors, cover it up in the winter. Use outdoor rope and twine to secure plastic tarp over the air conditioner, which helps protect the air conditioner from snow, rain and winter debris, like falling leaves and sticks. Protecting the air conditioner also helps extend its life and makes spring cleanup faster and easier.
Your air conditioner doesn't need to run all day if no one's home, which can needlessly represent a huge chunk of your utility bill. Ideally, use a time-programmable thermostat, and set it to turn your air conditioner on approximately 30 minutes before you and your family usually come home. The thermostat allows you to enjoy walking into a cool home, all without leaving the unit running for hours.
You may think that you no longer need traditional air-circulating fans now that you have an air conditioner, but running a fan while you're also running your air conditioner can help in several ways. For one, it circulates the cool air and the warm air, thus helping your room to cool down quicker and thus save you energy. It also helps eliminate pockets of warmth and coolness that may cause your thermostat to function at less than optimal levels.
The joy you get from living in a winter wonderland may quickly dissipate when you see your electric bill. Save considerable amounts of money by raising the temperature on your air conditioner while you're running it. For every degree that you raise your thermostat, you can save up to 3 percent on your air conditioner energy costs. Raising the temperature by just a few degrees will be barely perceivable but can help shave off money from your bill.