Air Conditioning : Few tips to cut down the spiralling costs

Air conditioners have become a commonplace appliance in most of our homes. But have you ever once thought of the cost of running an air conditioner? The truth is that in comparison with a household fan, a comparatively huge amount of electricity is required to operate a window air conditioner or central air conditioner. So, here are a few handy tips by which you can tremendously reduce your electricity bills if you have a central air conditioning or a window air conditioning unit in your house.

• When you plan to buy an air conditioner, always see to it that the size of the air conditioning unit is in proportion to the size of the room.
• Always ensure that the SEER number (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) is 13 or rather 14 in warmer climates.
• Regular maintenance of the air conditioning unit is a must. Service your system at the beginning of each cooling season.
• An old air conditioning system which has an SEER rating of less than 8 must be replaced with a more energy efficient system.
• Always install a programmable thermostat with which you can vary the temperature according to when you're home.
• Your air conditioning condenser must be positioned in a shady spot and it must have space to dispose of the heated air removed from the house.
• Plant shade trees and shrubs around your house which will significantly reduce the heat of the sun. This can help in lowering the cooling costs by up to 30%.
• Seal up the air leaks in your house and this will tremendously reduce air conditioning costs as well as heating costs.
• Make it a point to install energy efficient ceiling fans and run them on hot days.
• Ensure that your attic is properly ventilated.
• Put a reflective window tint on your windows which reduces the amount of absorbed heat.
• Turn off lights, computer and other home office equipment when not in use as it makes your air conditioning system work harder and incurs more cost.

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