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Summer savings

With summer here there are some simple things we can all do to keep our homes cool without breaking the bank.

Tips to keep you cool

Keeping cool doesn't need to break the bank. Stay cool and save with our cooling tips.

set the right temperature - the optimum range in summer is between 23 to 26 degrees. Each extra degree of cooling below that can add up to 10% to your running costs

Keep the heat off. The north and west facing areas receive the most summer heat. Keep it out by using vertical shades like adjustable louvres for east and west windows and horizontal shading like awnings for northern windows. If you can’t cover your windows from the outside, use curtains or blinds indoors and choose lighter colours so they reflect the heat.
Use natural breezes to stay cool by opening doors and windows on opposite sides of your home to take advantage of cross ventilation
Let the hot air out. Spinning roof vents help reduce the temperature in the roof cavity. If you have a two-storey house encourage hot air to flow out of the upper level while letting in the cooler evening breeze.
Another way to save is to use a fan for cooling. A ceiling fan costs about two cents an hour to run, or about $6 over summer. Air conditioning the same space can cost between 30 and 40 cents an hour and add $100-150 to your bill.

Outside the home, pools can provide welcome relief from the summer heat but can also add hundreds of dollars to your energy bills.

Installing an energy efficient pool pump or reducing your pool pump running times by an hour per day can save you over $100 per year.

Check with your retailer about moving to a time of use tariff. Running your pool pump in off-peak or shoulder periods rather than peak times can cut running costs in half.

Using a fan

Remember the fan this summer to beat the heat without burning a hole in your pocket.

Ausgrid’s energy efficiency expert Dr Robert Simpson said fans are effective and should be your first plan of attack when trying to keep cool at home.

Fans can make it feel around three degrees cooler because air circulating around the room makes the human body feel cooler as moisture is evaporated from the skin.

Fans are generally cheap to buy and run, and there are many designs to help cool one room or the whole house.

Ceiling fans cost as little as 2 to 3 cents per hour to run, or as little as $6 over summer. In comparison a medium sized air conditioner can cost between 30 to 40 cents an hour and can increase your summer bill by more than $150.

Portable fans such as pedestal or desk fans are great because you can move them to the room you’re using. They’re also the cheapest to buy, with prices starting at around $20.

If you are worried about the fan noise, there are now quieter models but may be a higher upfront cost.

Remember this is also the time of year to turn your ceiling fans on the summer forward rotation setting, which is the most efficient way to circulate the cool air around the room.
For more tips check out Ausgrid's summer cooling guide.
Choose the right air conditioner
Buying the right sized air conditioner for the area it’s cooling and using it wisely, are the best two things to consider when trying to keep cool efficiently this summer.

A unit which is either loo large or too small for the space you are trying to cool can add more than $250 to your bill a year.

To help find the right size air conditioner as a rough guide, multiply the number of square metres you want to cool by 125Watts and compare this to the air conditioner’s cooling capacity on the energy star label.

The most popular and affordable models are split-system reverse cycle units, which can also be used to keep you warm in winter.

Larger split-system models can be used to cool a large living area and can cost around 60 cents an hour to run and add around $200 to your summer electricity bill.

Some of the new smaller air conditioners used to cool a small room or bedroom are super efficient and can cost as little as 15 cents an hour to run adding around $50 to your summer bills.

New air conditioners are becoming more efficient and the star rating system helps you choose the most efficient model for the size you need.

Remember each extra star will reduce running costs by around 10% per year.

Some models of new air conditioners also come with in-built technology that allows power-saving modes to be activated remotely, also known as demand response modes. It means you may be able to take part in future programs, which could save you money. Look out for the tick box details on the bottom of the energy label.

One of the easiest ways to save money on air conditioner usage is to set the right temperature. Each degree of cooling can add 10% to your running costs. So set it between 23 and 26 degrees and close doors and windows to keep the cool air in.