The summers in Lahore can be extremely hot. During the summer months, May through August, many households operate their AC systems for 10-16 hours per day. With the current electricity rates, that means electricity bills can touch over Rs. 15,000 to Rs. $25,000 per month for one AC for a medium sized room.
After more than a decade of dealing with ACs in Lahore, we have identified what makes the difference between keeping your electricity meter running and having a crisis the next month.
Here are 10 workable tips that really work!
1. Set your thermostat to 24–26°C, not 18°C
This is the one largest mistake in electricity we see. Many people dial up their air conditioner thermostat at 18°C, believing that it will get cooler faster. It does not. However, your AC cools at approximately the same rate regardless of the set temperature — the difference is that at 18°C, your AC is constantly running to cool the house to this temperature, but never switching off.
Set your AC to 24°C or 25°C. The room will be at a comfortable temperature in about the same amount of time, and the compressor will start up and turn off rather than operate continuously. This can cut electricity use by 20-30 per cent. alone.
2. To prevent bullying and harassment, use sleep mode or a timer at night.
Many AC remotes have a sleep function where the temperature gradually increases by 1°C each hour during sleep. Your body temperature goes down slightly at night, so you should need less cooling at 3am than at 10pm. Sleep mode does just that and cuts down on power consumption noticeably during the night.
If your remote doesn’t have sleep mode, use a timer to turn the AC off 2 hours after you usually sleep.
3. Clean your filter every 3–4 weeks
If the filter is soiled, your AC has to work harder to move air through it. This results in higher electricity usage and less cooling. Filters clog at a faster rate than anywhere else in Lahore’s dusty surroundings. It takes 10 minutes to clean the filter and is free — and it actually improves the cooling efficiency and electricity consumption in a measurable way.
4. Keep doors and windows closed
This is a no-brainer but is easy to forget. When the doors or windows are open, cooled air escapes and hot outside air comes in, and your AC has to cycle through the process once again. Even a slightly open window can make a huge difference in the load on your AC in Lahore’s extreme summer heat (42-45°C outside temperature).
If ventilation is required, wait until early morning before 7am when temperatures are cooler, and close before the heat sets in.
5. Keep the blinds open while using the ceiling fan with AC on.
A ceiling fan is not a cooling device — it causes the air to feel cooler because of the wind-chill effect. Using a ceiling fan with the air conditioner can raise the setting 2-3 degrees higher without any loss of comfort. A ceiling fan consumes about 70 to 80 watts, compared to several hundred watts saved by cranking up the AC temperature.
6. Keep the outdoors unit clean and in the shade.
If the outside unit is dirty, it will not release heat as efficiently, and the compressor will have to use more energy and electricity to do so. Clean the outside unit’s fins with a hose monthly in the summer (when the unit is shut off at the breaker). Protect the outdoor unit from the afternoon sun, if possible (a simple shade structure can keep the outdoor unit several degrees cooler and it is certainly noticeable how better it is to be cooler and how much more efficient it is).
7. Seal air gaps around AC installation hole.
The opening made in the wall for your air conditioning pipes is not always well sealed. These openings are constantly allowing hot outside air to flow in, increasing your cooling load. Apply foam sealant or putty around pipe entry points on the inside and outside wall. It’s a 10 minute job with a large impact in a Lahore summer.
8. Change filters before summer, not during!
A well-service AC unit with clean coils, gas pressure and drainage runs smoothly compared to an untended one. Always, always, always take out the full service in March before the first heat of April. A problem-free AC that starts in summer consumes significantly less electricity than an AC that has developed issues mid-summer and is serviced then.
9. Consider upgrading to an inverter AC
For a non-inverter (fixed-speed) AC unit that is already running for over 8 hours per day, upgrading to an inverter AC will save 30-50 per cent of electricity. For heavy electricity consumers, payback on electricity savings is typically 1-2 summers. If you want to know whether this is feasible for you, read through our detailed comparison of split AC vs inverter AC.
10. Cool the room you are in only (zonal cooling)
Cool only the occupied room, don’t cool the whole house. Close all interior doors to maintain the cooled air in the area. Switch between cool rooms, rather than heating or cooling the entire home. By doing this simple thing alone, you can save up to 30 to 40 percent from your overall AC use.
Electricity savings by AC servicing
Clean ACs from us serve hundreds of ACs in Lahore and we always see a clean AC consumes 15-25% less electricity as compared to the same AC with dirty coil, blocked drainage or slightly lowered gas. A Rs. 2500 deep cleaning service pays for itself in one month of summer, based on electricity savings alone.
To book a service or get advice for your specific situation, call or WhatsApp us at 0340-1424525. We cover all areas of Lahore.