With the arrival of summer and high temperatures, air conditioners are also turned on again. These are among the most energy-hungry household appliances and the issue therefore becomes of great relevance at a time like the current one: the growth in energy costs, made exponential by the conflict in Ukraine, has already presented a very high bill to the pockets of Italians in recent months.
Precisely for this reason, the government has promoted a reduction in consumption in an attempt not to affect energy resources too much. Last May 1st, in fact, limits were introduced for public offices on the use of air conditioners, which cannot be set below 27°, with two degrees of tolerance (in fact, it will not be possible to go lower than 25°).
It is more complicated to intervene at a national level on domestic and private use. However, a “natural” limit, which will lead most users to a moderate and intelligent use of the air conditioner, will probably be imposed by the cost of energy: to keep the air conditioner on, Italian consumers will spend double compared to last year.
The alarm was raised by Selectra (selectra.net), the company that compares electricity, gas and internet rates, which conducted a study to simulate how much each Italian family could spend to turn on air conditioning at home.
In June, for each air conditioner sufficient to cool a 25 m2 room, Selectra estimates a cost on the bill of almost 21 euros per month for those who still rely on the Greater Protection Service, or over 10 euros/month more than in June 2021 (+100%).
The cost drops by about one euro for those in the Free Market, where the average is almost 20 euros/month (+92% compared to last year, or +9,5 euros/month). Those who have one of the most convenient offers on the Free Market will spend just under 17 euros/month for the air conditioner, with a more modest increase (+81%, or +7,5 euros) compared to a year ago.
The bill is less traumatic for those who choose to cool their rooms with a fan: in the Protected Market we are talking about 3 euros/month, while for those who have one of the most convenient offers on the Free Market the price drops to 2,5 euros. In any case, this is also a doubling compared to what was spent in June 2021, when the cost was between 1 and 1,5 euros/month.
The urgency to save could in this case translate into better consumption habits for the future: to the benefit not only of consumers' pockets, but also of the planet. For this reason, Selectra has drawn up a handy vademecum with 8 tips to reduce the consumption of air conditioners at home.
1 – Perform proper maintenance before the start of the summer season. In particular, it is a good idea to clean the fans and sanitize the filters: this is important not only for your health (mold and bacteria, including salmonella, easily accumulate in the filters), but also for the amount of energy we risk wasting;
2 – Use the dehumidification function, which has a much lower impact on consumption. It is useful because it is often the high humidity that makes temperatures feel higher.
3 – Arrange the air conditioning system intelligently: it is better to install multiple devices, so as to keep only those in the areas of the house that are frequented on. It is also preferable to install them as high as possible, since the cold air will tend to descend, absolutely avoiding placing them behind obstacles such as curtains or sofas;
4 – The difference between the temperature at home and the outside temperature should never exceed 6 degrees: therefore, you should not set temperatures that are too low, even in your own home, where there are no explicit prohibitions in force.
5 – Prefer new-generation inverter devices (compared to on-off ones) and higher energy class, choosing air conditioners with a high energy class: in fact, compared to a system with a lower energy class, consumption can be reduced by up to 30-40%. In this regard, Selectra reminds that bonuses are also expected in 2022 for the purchase of high-efficiency air conditioners, in the case of renovations or energy requalifications, with possible reimbursements between 50% and 65%.
6 – When the air conditioner is on, it is a good idea to close all doors and windows. It would also be ideal to lower the blinds or close the curtains, in order to avoid the heating effect of direct sunlight.
7 – Check the thermal insulation of the refrigerant circuit pipes located outside the home; the external unit of the air conditioner, moreover, should not be exposed to the sun and bad weather;
8 – If you don't want to give up the air conditioning when you go to sleep, use the “night” function: it allows you to automatically adjust the room temperature to suit your night's rest.
Article published on 5 June 2022 - 16:04
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