What temperature should i set my air conditioner to when cooling?
As with any type of engine the harder you push it the more fuel it will consume. This also applies to air conditioners. The bigger the capacity of the air conditioner unit the more electricty it will use. And, when setting the cooling cooling temperature to low or the heating temperature high the hard the unit will have to work thus increasing your electricity bill.
Below we have listed the hourly costs of different kilowatt kW sized air conditioners together wither the best sized air conditioner based on room size. The standard measuremnet suggests that for every 1 degree colder you set the sair conditioner will add approximately 10% to your electricity bill. Ergon Energy has created an air conditioner appliance calculator that can tell how much the running costs are depending on the kW size, temperature setting and daily hour usage.
How much can i save on the correct air conditioner setting?
Hourly running costs for different sized air conditioners.
It may not seem a lot of money to run an air conditioner at different temperature settings, but if you calculate the percentage difference, over time it will add up. The following case study will demonstrate the how subtle changes to the air conditioner settings can save 30% on your electricity bill.
Case study:
Jennifer perfers a cool environment in her home. She has installed a 7.1kW split system air conditioner which she has et to 21%. She runs the air con at this setting for 5 hours every day.
If we take the table settings in the table Jennifer’s hourly running cost will be $0.58 or $2.90 at 5 hours per day. Multiply this over the next 90 days of summer and her summer cooling bill will be $261.00 just for her air conditioner.
What if Jennifer ran her air conditioner at 23%. How much can she save? At this setting she is saving $0.11 per hour. Keeping this setting over the 90 day summer period for 5 hours a day will cost Jennifer $211.50. This is a saving of $49.50 or 18.9%.
What is the right sized air conditioner for your home?
Selecting the right sized air conditioner for the room is imporatant. Having a bigger air conditioner for a small room will generally make the air con go over the desired temperature. And th opposite applies when having an air conditioner that is too small for the room. It will not reach the deired temperature. The rule of thumb is typically 80 watts per square metre room size. Our table below suggests the approximate air conditioner kilowatt kW capcity you will need dependent on the room size.
