How to save on air conditioning without sweltering this summer

In summer, air conditioning can be the appliance that weighs most on your bill. The good news is that the difference between using it well and using it badly is enormous: you can cool the house while spending considerably less, without giving up comfort. These are the adjustments you really notice.

The magic temperature: 25-26 degrees

Every degree you lower the thermostat increases consumption noticeably. Setting the air conditioning to 21 degrees doesn't cool the room any faster: it just makes the unit run at full power for longer. At 25-26 degrees you're comfortably cool and the compressor gets a rest sooner.

If your unit has an automatic or eco mode, use it: it adjusts the power to the room's actual temperature instead of always running flat out.

Make the most of thermal inertia and the cooler hours

• Air the house at night and first thing in the morning, when the outside air is cool, and close the blinds during the sunniest hours.
• Don't cool empty rooms: close doors and only cool the room you're in.
• Switch it off a little before you go out: the room keeps its coolness by inertia for several minutes.

The maintenance almost nobody does

A dirty filter forces the unit to work harder to move the same air, and you pay for that. Cleaning the filters every few weeks in high season improves performance and air quality. Checking the outdoor unit and the refrigerant once a year also helps it consume what it's supposed to.

A ceiling fan uses a fraction of what air conditioning uses and helps spread the coolness around. Combining the two lets you turn the thermostat up a couple of degrees without noticing.

The time of day counts too

With the 2.0TD tariff, electricity doesn't cost the same at all hours. If you can shift the heaviest use of the air conditioning to the llano (mid-peak) or valle (off-peak) hours — or cool the place down before the punta (peak) band starts — the same consumption works out cheaper.

And the adjustment that saves the most: the right tariff

All these tricks reduce how much you consume. But if your tariff isn't competitive, you'll be overpaying for every kilowatt whatever you do. That's why the biggest saving is usually in the contract, not just in your habits.

At luzgasia you upload your summer bill, we analyse it and tell you whether your tariff makes good use of your consumption or whether you could be paying less. It's free, with no strings attached and no sales calls. Analyse your bill now and face the summer with your bill under control.