How

How do temperature settings affect air con costs?

The harder your air conditioner has to work, the more electricity it will consume. That means the lower you set the temperature when cooling and the higher you set it when heating, the more you’re adding to your power bill.

It is difficult to pin point how much your air conditioner temperature is contributing to your air con’s electricity usage cost, however Ergon Energy estimates that every one degree cooler in summer adds around 10% to the amount of electricity that the air conditioner uses. Using the Ergon air con cost calculator, you can see how small changes to the cooling temperature can make a considerable difference to the cost of using an air conditioner.

What is the right sized air conditioner for your home?

An air conditioner should generally have at least 80 watts of output per square meter of room you intend for it to cool or heat. If a room is larger than the air con was designed to cater for, then it will be less effective at controlling the temperature – while your remote control might say the air con is set to cool to 24°, the room temperature might actually be 28°. Conversely, if your room is too small for the air conditioner, the air con will over shoot the temperature that you intended to set it to. Below is approximate guide to ideal air con capacities given the room size.