With the hot and humid summer months upon us there is an increase of concern from homeowners on the cost of running their air conditioners. Cooling units are a leading user of electricity in our homes.
Over 55 percent of Oahu homes now have air conditioning, from a single window unit to central air, up from 22 percent just 25 years ago. - Hawaii's Energy Future
A window mounted air conditioner, running for 8 hours, in a standard size bedroom can rack up to a $49 per month bill! Turning the thermostat down a few degrees or running it during the hottest of the day can make a dramatic difference in your electricity consumption. Here are a few tips to help lower your energy usage without being uncomfortable:
- Consider the use of a fan in place of your traditional cooling unit.
- Change the thermostat to reduce your energy consumption.
- Add a programmable thermostat which will automatically run your AC when the house is occupied.
- Clean or replace filters to increase the efficiency of your cooling unit.
- Take actions to lower the temperature of your home. Install cooler CFL lights and close the blinds or invest in home tinting for your windows.
- Purchase a correctly sized cooling system for your room or home. HECO offers a free calculator to help determine what unit size you need. It will also show the average $ per month that your new unit will cost.
- Schedule a system maintenance check with a licensed contractor. For central air conditioning units this may qualify you for a maintenance rebate.
- Install solar panels on your house.
All of these small but important changes will help to keep your AC from working overtime during these hot summer months. Find more information and further energy saving tips at the Hawaii's Energy Future website.
Over 55 percent of Oahu homes now have air conditioning, from a single window unit to central air, up from 22 percent just 25 years ago. - Hawaii's Energy Future
A window mounted air conditioner, running for 8 hours, in a standard size bedroom can rack up to a $49 per month bill! Turning the thermostat down a few degrees or running it during the hottest of the day can make a dramatic difference in your electricity consumption. Here are a few tips to help lower your energy usage without being uncomfortable:
- Consider the use of a fan in place of your traditional cooling unit.
- Change the thermostat to reduce your energy consumption.
- Add a programmable thermostat which will automatically run your AC when the house is occupied.
- Clean or replace filters to increase the efficiency of your cooling unit.
- Take actions to lower the temperature of your home. Install cooler CFL lights and close the blinds or invest in home tinting for your windows.
- Purchase a correctly sized cooling system for your room or home. HECO offers a free calculator to help determine what unit size you need. It will also show the average $ per month that your new unit will cost.
- Schedule a system maintenance check with a licensed contractor. For central air conditioning units this may qualify you for a maintenance rebate.
- Install solar panels on your house.
All of these small but important changes will help to keep your AC from working overtime during these hot summer months. Find more information and further energy saving tips at the Hawaii's Energy Future website.
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