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7 Rules To Save Money On Air Conditioning This Summer

Don’t let your AC blow your money away. Use these tips and pay less to cool your house this summer.

Running the air conditioning can make an electricity bill skyrocket, but the alternative isn’t pretty, either. Luckily, there are a few ways that you can help your air conditioner run better and save you money as the summer months progress.

Quit cooling the neighborhood

If your home isn’t brand new, the cold air inside it is probably seeping out into the neighborhood through worn door and window seals and other sneaky cracks.

To see how well your home is holding in the cold, sign up for a home energy audit with your utility provider or a local contractor. A certified home energy rater or auditor will check your home for leaks and recommend the best way to make your home more energy efficient.

Don’t want to spring for an audit? Do a mini audit yourself. Stand outside your home and run your hand along windows and doors. Can you feel the cold air escaping? If you do, caulk around leaky windows and add insulation around doors.

Make an upgrade

If you haven’t upgraded to a smart thermostat — such as a Rinnai — it’s time to make a change. Smart thermostats can regulate heating and cooling when you’re not home to save money. Plus, you can adjust the settings remotely using an app on your phone. Some even work with Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, Apple HomeKit, Wink, Google Home and other smart home platforms.

Make sure your thermostat is on the right wall

Thermostat placement can play a big part in how well your air conditioner works. If you put it on a wall right next to a hot window, for instance, your air conditioner will kick on much more often than it needs to because it will think the room is hotter than it actually is.

Close the blinds

A window letting in the hot sun won’t just heat up your thermostat, it’ll heat you up too. During the warmest part of the day, close your window blinds and keep out the sun. It can also help insulate your windows, which stops the cold air from escaping.

Use a fan

A fan can help save on cooling costs.

Sometimes you don’t need to amp up the thermostat to feel cooler. Using a ceiling fan can make a room feel 10 degrees cooler and uses 10 percent of the energy of a central air conditioner.

If you want to get high-tech, you can install smart ceiling fans that connect to an app. You can schedule the times when these fans turn on and off, and you can control their speed without standing on your tiptoes.

Raise the temperature

Many people think that leaving the air conditioner at the same temperature when you leave the house saves money because the AC won’t need to work as hard to re cool the home. This isn’t the case, the most inexpensive way to use your air conditioner is to turn the thermostat up when you leave the house.

Air conditioning systems operate most efficiently at full speed during longer periods of time. So kicking it on a lower temperature when you get home will save you more money than the AC cycling on and off while you’re away.

A programmable thermostat can make it super easy to keep your AC at the right temperature. You can program the unit to work at higher temperatures while you’re at work and cool down right before you get home.

Setting low is a no-go

Always set your thermostat to the highest temperature you can stand to save the most money. Even a small change in the temperature can save you big bucks.

You can save 10 percent a year on your cooling bills by setting your thermostat just 10 to 15 degrees higher for eight hours each day.

If your current cooling is leaving you hot and bothered give Abracadabra Air Con a call today! We service Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula, Surfcoast and surrounding areas.

7 Cost-Effective Things You Can Do This Winter

1. Keep the heat you’ve paid for inside your home

Draught-proofing is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to keep your home warm and comfy. Doing it well can save you up to 25% on your heating bills.

Swing by the hardware store and pick up supplies like brush-strip seals for the bottom of the doors, draught-proofing strips and even some of grandma’s old-fashioned door snakes (just remember to train others living with you to put the snake back in place after coming inside).

Don’t forget to block the gaps around internal doors too. If you have rooms you’re not heating, such as laundries and bathrooms, draught-proof these so that when you close off areas you don’t need to heat, there’s no warm air leakage.

2. Windows of opportunity

Windows can let as much as 40% of your winter warmth leak out of your home but there are ways to improve window efficiency.

Investing in new warmth-saving curtains and blinds can make a surprising difference to your home’s warmth. Look for fabrics that insulate well, or curtains with thermal lining or layers. Choose the best quality you can afford to give you the best thermal results.

Fitted pelmets (curtain boxes) above curtains are also important in reducing heat loss. If pelmets don’t fit with your interior design, choose window fittings such as blinds that attach to the wall and trap air, or install curtains that reach from the ceiling to the floor. For a simple do-it-yourself and low cost option, try fitting a strip of light timber across the curtain rail above the curtain to stop warm air you’ve paid to heat from leaking away.

Installing an additional layer of glazing on windows and skylights is another option to increase energy efficiency. This traps a layer of air and helps keep the winter chills at bay. Glazing also helps reduce outside noise. Double-glazed windows can be very expensive to retrofit but there are cheaper commercial alternatives and secondary glazing products that have a thin plastic coating which you can fit over windows at a low cost. Check out what’s available in your hardware store and on the internet.

3. Set your thermostat

You can save money by having a programmable thermostat and keeping the internal temperature set to between 18°C and 20°C.

It’s nice to feel warm at home when it’s cold outside, but remember that every degree lower on your setting can save up to 10% on your energy use.

Make sure that the timer is set to warm your house for times you’ll need it, turning it off overnight and when you are away from home.

4. Install a water-efficient showerhead

Hot water accounts for a large chunk of your power bill. It might not seem like much but installing a water-efficient showerhead is one of the most cost-effective ways you can save energy on heating water and water use. A water-efficient showerhead is simple to install and will pay for itself in a very short time. Best of all you can still enjoy a great shower.

5. Insulate your roof

If you haven’t already insulated your roof, now is the time to think about having insulation installed. Not only will it make your home a lot more comfortable to live in, you can also make some dramatic savings on your heating costs. Up to 45% of the energy we use to heat our homes in winter can simply leak out through ceilings and roofs.

Start by doing some research about insulation and installation options. Then talk to an expert to find out what’s best for your home, climate and individual circumstances. It’s important to have insulation installed safely according to Australian standards by industry professionals.

6. Insulate floors and walls, and rug up floors

Insulated floors and walls will save you on your winter heating bills and also make your home cooler in the hot months. You could be saving up to 20% of your heating and cooling bills if you insulate your walls. Floor insulation can save you an additional 5%.

Most cavity brick walls can be retrofitted with insulation, as can brick veneer and timber framed walls. Get expert advice when looking into wall and underfloor insulation because electrical and plumbing fixtures, as well as the best type of insulation, need to be considered.

Warm rugs and thick carpet underfoot will also make a difference to how soon your household members reach for the thermostat.

Put thick rugs where you spend time standing, especially if this is on a cold, hard surface. Placing rugs where you do the washing up and brush your teeth is a good start to keeping your toes warmer.

7. Double glaze windows

If you’ve got money to invest in making your home more efficient and more comfortable, then laminating or double glazing windows could be for you. Double glazing can be especially useful for windows that can’t easily be covered with insulating blinds or curtains.

Lower cost options for windows include laminating products that you can attach to your existing windows. This option and the curtain ideas listed above will all make a noticeable difference to your comfort levels. Double glazing can further reduce your heating and cooling requirements.

If you’re looking into double glazing, make sure you build up your knowledge of the ins and outs of double glazing. This will help you to choose a builder or window supplier who knows what they’re selling.

Call us today today to schedule a service heating system repair, replacement, installation, or tune-up services with our capable team! We offer honest, upfront pricing in writing and industry-leading warranties on parts and service.

Call Michael or Marty for all your heating services in Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula, Surfcoast and surrounding areas.

Energy-Saving Heating Tips for Winter

There are many ways to reduce your home energy use that are free and will save you money.

While it may take a while to bed down new ways of doing things around the home, once you do, they become second nature.

How can I reduce my heating bill?

Lowering your set temperature is a great way to reduce your heating costs. Another simple way to reduce your energy costs year-round is to invest in a programmable thermostat. Smart thermostats allow you to have direct control over your comfort, and some models will even track your energy use throughout the day–allowing you to make micro-adjustments whenever you need.

Decorate for Cold Weather

The first chill of the season is a great time to decorate for the holidays–but it’s also a great excuse to break out some cozy favorites to make your home look and feel warmer! Add some fluffy throw blankets to the couch and put your favorite flannel sheets on your bed for a cozy way to stay warm while relaxing. You can also invest in rugs and insulated curtains, which help to trap warm air inside your home and prevent cold feet in the mornings.

Dress for the season

One of the easiest ways to save money in winter is to turn down the heater and put on some warmer clothes. This doesn’t mean dressing for the Antarctic—it just means putting on some warmer clothing before you crank up the temperature.

This can be a real money saver, given that each additional degree adds between 5% and 10% to your energy use.

While you’re at it, dress your bed for the season too by putting on an extra blanket.

Let the Light In

Open the curtains or blinds on your sun-facing windows during the day to let the sun heat your home for free! Once the sun sets in the evenings, close your blinds to reduce heat loss.

Turn it off

Turn off your heaters before going to bed and when you’re leaving the house—it’s cheaper and it’s safer too.

Switch Your Fan

Ceiling fans operate by moving warm air around your home—on a higher setting, they can create a wind chill effect that can make you feel up to 8 degrees cooler! However, not many people want to feel cooler in the winter–so why use your fan?

Your ceiling fan actually has two settings. By switching your fan to run in ‘reverse’, your fan blades will spin the opposite direction and pull any warm air that’s risen to the ceiling back down to the ground level where you can feel it. Your fan should run counterclockwise in the summer and clockwise in the winter–it’s also worth noting that turning your fan on too high will still create the wind chill effect, which can make your home feel chilly, so keep it on a low setting for the best results.

Don’t use the shower to warm up

Hot water accounts for a large chunk of your power bill—about 25% of the average bill—so try to avoid the temptation of using the shower to get warm.

Staying in the shower uses up to 20 times as much energy as getting out and standing under two heat lamps instead. Even a few extra minutes in the shower will add to your power bill.

Turn off gadgets and appliances

Up to 3% of the electricity used in your home is used on gadgets plugged in on standby. TVs, streaming devices, game consoles, mobile phone chargers, microwave ovens, music docks and stereos are some of the biggest culprits.

Check that you’re using appliances efficiently and turn off unused appliances at the wall. Unplugging these gadgets can save you quite a bit of money on your energy bill all year round.

There are also heaps of ways to have fun ‘unplugged’—you could break out the board games or jigsaws.

Shop around and switch to save

Don’t assume your existing energy provider is offering you the best deal available. It’s worth looking at government price comparison web sites to check which provider is offering the best rates. You can use this as a negotiating point with your existing supplier, or you can just switch to save money.

If you live in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, South Australia, south east Queensland or Tasmania, you can compare electricity and gas offers on energymadeeasy.gov.au. If you live in Victoria, visit compare.energy.vic.gov.au.

Call Michael or Marty for all your heating services in Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula, Surfcoast and surrounding areas.

10 Handy Home Electrical Safety Tips

Electricity is part of our lives. We use it from the moment we wake up and throughout the day. As a result, we sometimes forget how powerful and dangerous it can be.

The following list outlines the steps you should take to reduce electrical accidents around the home.

Always call a certified electrician to do any wiring in your home.
If a fuse blows, turn off all appliances and lights that are on the circuit before changing the fuse. Use a flashlight. Don’t try to replace a fuse in the dark.
Replace a fuse with another that has an identical rating. Pull the plug, not the cord, when disconnecting an electrical device.
Never remove a plug when your hands are wet, or if you’re touching a metal object.
Keep cords away from sources of heat and water.
Do not place a cord under a carpet, through a doorway, or anywhere that it could be stepped on.
Always use extension cords that are properly rated for the amount of electricity you’ll be using.
Coil up excess cord length and keep the coil intact with plastic ties or velcro straps.
Use a certified power bar if you need to plug multiple items into an outlet.
Unplug the toaster before prying out stuck toast. Unplug your electrical gadgets when they’re not in use.

For all electrical work, including air conditioning, heating service and hot water installations, call Abracadabra Air Con today. We service Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula, Surfcoast and surrounding areas.

Author: admin