Did you know that, in the US, we use as much electricity on cooling systems as the continent of Africa’s entire electricity consumption? Our nation holds just over 4% of the world’s population and yet we use more energy powering our air conditioners than the rest of the world uses on the same appliances combined. It’s no surprise even here in the Sunshine State’s in Port St. Lucie we are being forced to take measures to cut down our carbon emissions and become more efficient with our methods of avoiding the heat.
Here are the top 3 ways you can help the environment (and your bank balance!) with your machine:
1. Keep your doors and windows closed – New York City passed a law in 2015 that made it illegal for almost every shop and restaurant to keep entrances and windows open whilst AC units pumped out cool air during the hot months. Many other cities and states have, subsequently, duplicated or are thinking of duplicating the law in their local district and it’s easy to understand why. The devices have a thermometer and a temperature setting which means that it will keep working until the whole room is at the required temperature. If there is air from outside seeping into the room, this means your standard wholesale air conditioner has to work harder because its cool air is escaping into the outdoors and this means it takes longer to cool the room, which increases pollution and drives up the cost of electricity bills.
2. Raise the temperature setting or turn it off completely if it’s bearable – Particularly before and after summer in the spring and fall, if the temperature in your home is less than 80°F, the vast majority of people shouldn’t feel the need to turn on their AC. Yes, it’s a hassle to keep fiddling with your temperature gage, but paying extortionate prices for bills and contributing to global warming is worse than mild inconvenience so it’s definitely worth considering.
3. Don’t be against maintenance, repair or even an upgrade – Many air conditioners across the US have tiny mechanisms that can become faulty very easily and/or use out-dated technology. Both of these can mean the appliance uses more power in order to cool your home so you may need to just get new parts or maybe get an AC replacement. If you’re not an expert with electrical appliances, why not hire someone who is to give you the lowdown? Though call-outs for air conditioner specialists aren’t cheap, your household costs could be lowered significantly with their help and advice.
4. Try the outdoors – Port St. Lucie residents are fortunate enough to have some gorgeous location right at our doorstep. Whether it is the Veterans memorial park or whispering Pines park, sometimes just getting close to the water and basking in the shade can be exactly what you need to cool down.