The only thing not cool about your air conditioner is probably the fat electricity bill that comes at the end of the month. Here are a few ways by which you can reduce your AC bills while still being comfortable.
- Replace Old AC With Inverter & 5 Star Rated ACs
The Bureau Of Energy Efficiency (BEE) labels appliances according to their power efficiency. More the stars, less is the overall power consumption. A high star rated AC can save thousands of rupees per year on electricity bill over a lower star one. Inverter ACs are the most efficient air conditioners in the market. Normal ACs have fixed speed compressors which run at full load and cut off when the temperature is reached. Inverter ACs on the other hand, have variable speed compressor that adjusts the compressor speed according to demand. This eliminates the frequent on-off cycle and helps in reducing power bills. The temperature maintained by inverter ACs is also more accurate and hence provides a comfortable interior. The higher cost of 5 star inverter ACs can be recovered in a year or two depending on moderate to heavy use. Also, BEE upgrades the efficiency label norms every year. That means a 5 star rated AC in 2016 could be only 3 stars now.
- Clean Filters & Repair Insulation
This is the simplest way to save a 10-20% of energy costs. A filter choked with dust reduces the air flow and hence the air conditioner has to work overtime. To clean the filters, remove the top cover. It is usually unlocked from the side. Slide out the two filters and use a hand shower to force out the dust. Install it back and you are done. Check the foam insulation on the pipes that connect the indoor and outdoor units. This insulation keeps the cold air cold. If it is damaged, replace it and apply tape over it. Also clean the condenser grill on the outdoor unit by splashing water over it. Do turn off the AC while doing so.
- Shade
Installing the outdoor unit of AC in a shade or providing a shade over it will make the AC operate more efficiently. A tree or plant is the best shade as it absorbs the heat too. If that’s not possible, simply place a piece of wood or metal over the unit with a small gap for air to pass through. Similarly, curtains for your room can help reduce the heat gain inside.
- Paint Your Roof White
This is another age-old easy-to-do technique that results in 10-15 degrees Celsius cooler interiors. Darker colors absorb more light, and hence heat from the Sun while lighter colors reflect most of it. A hot roof radiates the heat in the evening. By painting the roof white, the roof doesn’t heat up as much. Hence top floors feel as cool as lower floors. There are a few types of white paint available to apply to the roof. The cheapest is slaked lime or choona. While it is very effective, it doesn’t last when it rains heavily. White cement paint is also affordable and lasts better than slaked lime. Cement paint too needs to be reapplied every year. This will cost you around Rs 2000 for a 1200 sqft roof. If you can afford and don’t want to reapply every year, elastomeric paints such as Dr.Fixit Newcoat, Asian Paints Damp Proof are the best bet for you. This paint can last for around 5 years and will water-proof your roof and help increase the life span of it. Elastomeric paints cost around 5-7 times that of cement paint. According to a research at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, painting every roof and surface white can help reduce temperatures of cities by 2-3 degree Celsius. The city of Los Angeles has recently started painting its roads white to reduce urban heat island effect.
- Green Roof
Another option is to grow a lawn and plants on the roof. This will help reduce carbon and cool the surroundings very well. Do make sure that your roof can support the additional load and also waterproof it.
- False Ceiling
A false ceiling of insulative materials such as POP with a layer of reflective aluminium sheet on top of it can help reduce the heat in the room. Make sure the false ceiling is air tight.
- Smaller Rooms
If you are building a new house or redoing your current one, make bedrooms smaller in volume and preferably on lower floors. A smaller room requires a smaller air conditioner that will consume lesser power. If you are adding wardrobes and false ceilings in your room, make sure they are air tight, so that the AC has to cool lesser volume.
- Fans
Use fans with air conditioners to feel cooler fast. Fans consume 50-80 watts while a 1.5 ton AC consumes around 1500 watts. As you feel cooler, you set a higher temperature on the AC and hence the compressor works for lesser time.
- Set A Higher Temperature
The higher the temperature you set on your AC, the lesser will be the electricity bill. The AC’s compressor may be 1500 watts but its fan is only around a 100 watts. If the compressor turns off sooner, you get lesser bills.
- Glass Is Not Green
Huge un-shaded glass windows on the west and south-west sides will heat up your room fast. It is better to avoid such designs. If you do, make sure to add curtains or blinds, preferably on the outer side. Glass is fine on the North and East sides as the intensity of the rising Sun is not very high. Also use insulative materials such as hollow fly ash bricks, wooden partitions, foam, etc to reduce the heat entering your house.
- Air Coolers
According to the U.S Department of Energy, evaporative air coolers are only effective where the relative humidity is low. If you live in coastal Odisha where the average humidity is around 60-70 percent, these coolers will only increase the humidity inside. The same goes for applying water to khus-khus curtains. However, if you live in western Odisha where the air is not humid, evaporative coolers are the greener choice for you as they consume a lot less power than air conditioners.
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