There’s nothing like an Aussie summer to turn up the heat, but are you ready for the subsequent bill shock?
Canstar Blue have compared running costs for a range of common cooling products. Then they’ve compared the increased electricity cost you’re likely to face, depending where you live in this wide brown land. This sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains, if you want to get poetic.
So, hold on to your hat, because the following is not always pretty reading…
Whole-house, ducted air-con costs most
Results of the cooling product running price comparison range from the sublimely cheap – a modest 2 cents per hour for ceiling and pedestal fans – to the expensively ridiculous.
Namely those with whole-house, ducted air-conditioning can expect to pay $2.45 per hour – averaging $882 more on power bills over three months.
A standard split-system air-conditioner costs 25 cents to run per hour, with a three-month bill coming in at $90. Portable air conditioners are more expensive, having a running cost of 45 cents per hour.
State by state, estimated summer electricity bills range from the lowest in Victoria – $387 for a split-system air-conditioner – to the highest in South Australia at $638.
In ascending order of price, the states rank: Victoria, Queensland, ACT, NSW,South Australia.
Ducted, whole-house air-conditioning costs $1,179 in Victoria, and peaks at $1,430 in South Australia. That’s some Summer bill shock!
Use your air-conditioning conservatively
However, there are ways to maximise the efficiency of your cooling system(s) over summer.
- Close windows, curtains and blinds during the day to avoid the house heating up with hot outside air.
- Turn ducted cooling off in rooms that you don’t use.
- Run your air-conditioner at the highest temperature you can tolerate (i.e. 26 rather than 18).
- Close doors to avoid losing cool air when running a portable air-conditioner. These are best used to cool one room at a time.
- Buy air-conditioners with high star and efficiency ratings.
Read complete article here.
