Noticing an increase in your electricity bill? When using an air conditioner to cool your home a rise in your electricity bill is unavoidable, although there are ways to reduce future costs. Here are some helpful tips about air conditioning that will make sure your air conditioner, ducted or split, will work to its maximum efficiency without going over budget.
Keep your air conditioner set at 24°
The recommended temperature for your air conditioning system is 24°C in the summer months
and 20°C in the winter months. These temperatures are comparative to outside temperatures in the Queensland climate and avoid having your air conditioning system working in overload to maintain an excessive temperature.
Start your A/C early in the morning
The best way to combat the heat and have your air conditioner working to its maximum efficiency is to turn it on early in the morning. Most people believe to save money they need to wait until midday to turn the system on because it won’t be running for a long amount of time when in fact, this works the opposite way. It is more efficient to turn your system on first thing in the morning so your air conditioner doesn’t have to work as hard and battle against the well-established heat to maintain a cool level of comfort in your home.
Close doors and windows
In areas you want to stay cool, keep doors closed inside the house. This will help keep the cool air in and the hot air out. This will also help reduce the temperature in the areas you want to cool faster.
Stay within certain cooling and heating temperatures
Each degree of extra heating in winter or cooling in summer increases energy consumption by approximately 5–10%. Set the controls to 20–22°C in winter and 22–24°C in summer.
Avoid excessive expenses on start-up
Avoid setting you’re A/C controller at a colder setting than normal when you turn on your air conditioner. It will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling and, therefore, unnecessary expense.
Avoid using indoor appliances
On hot days take advantage of using the BBQ or outdoor grill. Using your oven on hot days with no ventilation will increase the temperature of your home and make you’re A/C system work harder.
Turn off A/C in unoccupied rooms
If a room or area is not occupied, switch the air conditioning off and close the door. This reduces the working load of your air conditioning unit helping to increase energy efficiency and save on running costs. Remember to keep a minimum of two zones running.
Draw the Curtains
Keep your curtains or blinds closed when the sun is beating in. This serves to keep the internal room temperature from rising and your air conditioner from kicking in to manage and regulate the room temperature. If you curtains are open there is nothing to stop the sunlight from heating your home, therefore your air conditioning system has to work harder, which means a higher bill.
What does reverse-cycle mean?
Reverse-cycle ultimately means that the refrigeration cycle can be reversed in your air conditioner. Therefore you have total climate control with the convenience of cool or warm air, perfect for keeping you comfortable through both summer and winter.
Get an annual service
A full maintenance and cleaning service from a qualified technician is recommended a minimum of every 12 months to make sure your system is running at optimum energy levels. To book in for a service call 07 3395 7633to arrange a time. Alternatively, send an email to sales@qualityac.com.au and we will call you back.
Set timers for ducted
If you have ducted air conditioning you could choose to set timers for when your system will start operating according to where you are in the house. For example if you wake at 7am, you could set a timer to turn on your ducted in the lounge/kitchen/dining area at 6am, therefore the area would be cooled or heated long before you go to that area of the house, maximising your comfort without any effort. Great for chilly winter mornings or humid summer evenings after work.
Following these tips should help out in the bills department as they guide you to use less power when operating your air conditioner. Whether its winter or summer even a small change to how you operate your system will make a difference. Please call us on 07 3395 7633 if you have any questions.
Frequently asked questions
Not sure what to expect? These common questions might help.
Once a year is usually enough for most homes. For commercial systems or heavy use, more frequent servicing may be recommended.
Most services take between 45 and 90 minutes, depending on the system size and condition.
If it’s not cooling or heating properly, making strange noises, leaking, or pushing out weak airflow — it’s time to get it checked.
We don’t offer 24/7 emergency work, but we respond quickly during business hours and aim to prioritise urgent issues.