Air conditioning is an absolute must in many areas of Australia throughout the hotter months of the year.  However, with the cost of electricity rising and only set to get higher, air conditioning can soon raise your bills to astronomical levels.  Save the pain on your hip pockets without having to give up the air conditioning by using your air conditioner smarter, not necessarily less.  There are several great tips to keep you cooler this summer without emptying your wallets.  Here are some of the best.

Buy the Right Air Conditioner

One of the best things that you can do to reduce your air conditioning costs is to buy the right size air conditioner for your room or home.  You need to look at the size of the area that needs to be cooled as well as other factors such as how hot the room gets and which direction the room faces.  Buying an air conditioner that is too small or too large will be inefficient and actually end up costing you more money.  You should also check the energy rating of the air conditioner before you buy it.  You should look for the one that has the most stars as the more stars, the more energy efficient it is.

Maintain Your Air Conditioner

Regular maintenance on your air conditioner will also go a long way to helping it run more efficiently and thus reducing costs.  You should make sure that the outdoor unit is clean, and that the filters inside the air conditioner are regularly cleaned or changed.

Insulation is Vital

One of the best ways to reduce your air conditioning costs is to reduce how hard your air conditioner has to work to cool the room and there is no better way to do this than by installing insulation.  Insulation can reduce the temperature inside your home by several degrees.  At a minimum, insulation should be installed in your roof but you can also install it in your walls and under the floor.  Look for insulation materials that have high R ratings and always ensure that they are installed by professionals for the best results.

Close Doors and Turn the Lights Off!

You might not think that it makes much of a difference but doing simple things such as closing doors and turning your lights off really does count.  Close the doors to the areas that you are not using, so that cooled air does not flow into these and become wasted.  Lighting can heat your home so turn off all unnecessary lights.  Other things such as appliances, computers and so on can also generate heat so make sure these are turned off when not in use as well.

Cool Your Home Naturally

To help your air conditioner work at its best, it is a good idea to give it a helping hand by cooling your home naturally where possible.  This includes making sure that you have eaves or a veranda to keep the sun off of your walls, planting trees or shrubbery outside to shade the home, installing double glazing to reduce heat gain through your windows, shading your windows with awnings, window films or window treatments, sealing up any draughts or leaks, painting your home in lighter colours (as they reflect the heat) and installing ceiling fans.  Using ceiling fans at the same time as your air conditioner means that you can set your air conditioning a little higher, reducing costs.