When the summer heat has been on (and lets face it the summer of 2013 was hot!) it is likely as autumn approaches and the electricity bills arrive on the doormat, you are turning your thoughts to how you could have cut the cost of your summer air conditioning. Everyone wants to save money and in this article we show you a few money saving ideas and tips to prepare you for the next cooling season.

Did you know that although air conditioning units are super energy efficient, they can still chalk up a hefty number of electricity units while in use during the summer heat? A faulty unit is obviously going to be less efficient than one that is well maintained and operated by the user effectively. It is extremely important to keep your air conditioning system well serviced and maintained.

Staying cool during the summer months can seem impossible at times which is why many people are turning to modern air conditioning systems for the convenience and comfort of having respite from endless heat. Nothing is worse than working outside in the garden or participating in an outdoor activity, only to be met with a stifling indoors muggy atmosphere when what you want is to feel cool. With summer air conditioning, you can be outside to your heart’s content knowing you will soon cool off again indoors with the comfort of air conditioning. The warm weather months are always so welcome and it is great that air conditioning adds to the summer easy living.

It is possible to save money when cooling in the summer months by operating your air conditioning most efficiently. It is worth bearing in mind that if you did not install the air conditioner yourself with the help of a reputable engineer, the wrong system for your home may have been installed. The right sized unit for the space is essential and a quick measure up of your room sizes and comparison with the recommendations for your air conditioner may show you that you have a unit that is too small or too large for the space being cooled. This will lead to inefficient operation and your electricity bills will be high unnecessarily.

Once you are sure it is the right unit for your accommodation, it is time to implement some simple measures to save money on your electricity bills. To stay cool, adopt some cool habits to save money. Small changes in your behaviour can make big differences to your air conditioning bills. Small changes such as keeping curtains and blinds closed during the hottest part of the day will leave your air conditioning unit less work to do. Using heat generating appliances such as a cooker will cause the air conditioning to work harder to cool the room so bear this in mind at meal times. Something as small as changing form old style lightbulbs to chlorofluorocarbons all help the air conditioning to run economically. Bear in mind that every time you increase the temperature of your air conditioner you will save money right off. Is it really essential for the room to be icy cold? No point slipping on a jumper because the A/C is too cold.

In the UK it is highly unlikely that solar screens will be required on the western aspect of houses, but given some of the extremes of temperature the UK often experiences these days, it is worth knowing about the option. The solar screens block up to 80% of the heat coming from the sun which in turn can save money by cutting 20% off your air conditioning bill. Another method of saving money is to make sure your house is well insulated, especially in the roof space and loft.

Combining a few lifestyle changes and adopting some new habits will significantly help to save money and lower energy bills. To finish here are some tried and tested tips to help you save money:

• Decide if you really need to use the A/C – you may be able to get away with a fan to circulate air when it is not blisteringly hot. If a constant ambient temperature is required, then try to use a higher A/C temperature setting.
• If it is a very humid day, set the fan speed on low and only use the high settings on less humid days.
• Keep the air conditioning unit in the shade. This can save you up to 10% in energy costs. Always be sure the airflow is not blocked by leaves or garden debris.
• Turn off the air conditioning when you leave the house or the room you are in. Just by following this simple rule, up to 20% savings can be made on your energy bills.

With a summer heat wave being experienced all over the UK there is need to be conscious of the way we use our air conditioners. Research in the US has found that 84% of homes and offices use air conditioners and a typical home uses about 17% of its annual energy budget on its cooling system. Looking at this, it is glaringly obvious that the effect on consumption of energy and finances is quite a sticking point. There is therefore a need to save money and also conserve energy in the community. Here are some of the steps that we can take to reduce the consumption of energy as well as the amount you pay to keep your air conditioner in working condition. These steps may look very simple but they have been proven to be effective.

The first step is to make sure that all your windows are closed while using your air con. At night, open your windows while the air is cooler outside (before the sun comes out in the morning). This will make the cool night air circulate through the house so need for air con usage. Having house plants in front of your sunny windows also helps to absorb the energy of the sun. By doing this, you would be surprised that the impact of heat is slightly less and so the air conditioner will by working slightly less vigorously to beat the heat.

If you have a thermostat that controls the central air in your home, you can program it to save energy. Another thing that will help to reduce energy consumption and also save money is turning off the lights. It is ideal to turn off the lights in the home anyway in order to conserve energy. It makes a whole lot of difference during the hot summer days. Lights generate heat and turning them off reduces the excess heat that they generate (which is an awful lot in traditional and standard bulbs).