How to save in the middle of a heat wave and with the light fired? Air conditioning tips and tricks

• Forecast The heat wave will continue until Saturday with temperatures between 7 and 12 degrees higher than normal

In the midst

, with temperatures exceeding 40º in much of Spain and with the price of electricity skyrocketing, if there is one thing that worries consumers, it is how

.

How much electricity will an

and

How much will it affect the

?

Although there are tricks to cool off without having to use electrical devices, the truth is that with such high temperatures, air conditioning becomes a lifesaver, but also a great expense that not all houses can afford.

The good news is that a few small changes manage to lower the consumption of air conditioners, as stated by the

(OCU).

"The consumption of an electrical device is calculated based on its power. In the case of

, it must be clarified that it is the

, that is, the electricity necessary to make it work. In these devices, also we talk about its

Both powers are related and must be taken into account to estimate consumption," explains the OCU.

But

The input electrical power is the amount of electricity needed to keep the appliance running continuously for one hour

It will be indicated on the technical data sheet of the device by its figure in watts (W), although domestic devices usually move between

.

As electricity bills express consumption in kilowatts per hour (kWh), the electrical power must be divided by 1,000.

Thus, the consumption of the

for one hour will range between a minimum of 0.5 kWh and a maximum of 1.5 kWh.

How much does it cost to cool a room?

And now the big question that is on the minds of most in these hot days: how much does it cost to cool a room?

"The energy consumption to cool or heat a room

," says the OCU.

The

tells how much your device spends if you have it running for a whole hour.

however, as the organization explains,

do not work like this but instead have a

that turns on, off or reduces power to maintain the temperature that has been programmed.

To know the energy consumption that is being carried out in a home, an

can be made by dividing the sum of the minimum and maximum powers by 2.

"In this way, it will be found out how much the air conditioning of a given house consumes on average for each hour that it is turned on," adds the OCU.

In the case of an appliance with

, that average would be 0.5 kWh plus 1.5 kWh, equal to 2 kWh, which divided by 2 would result in

of energy consumption for each hour in which the device is turned on.

How much money does an hour of air conditioning cost?

And to the important thing,

.

Bearing in mind that electricity prices are variable and constantly change depending on the tariff of each household and the prices established each day, it is difficult to calculate exactly the monetary cost of relieving yourself from the heat with

.

However, given the high prices obtained in recent times, the OCU makes an approximate calculation

.

In other words, an hour of operation of the air conditioner would be 0.30 euros.

Therefore,

if it is turned on for 4 hours a day.

And

, like the one that is being hot in Spain, the price that the consumer would pay having the air turned on four hours a day at 0.30 euros per hour, would be

.

Of course, this calculation is not exact since it

such as the type of device, its efficiency, the electricity rate that has been contracted, the orientation of the home and even the place of residence.

For example,

.

"A portable air conditioner can spend as much energy in an hour as a freezer in a whole day," says the OCU.

In fact, the OCU has calculated the electricity costs for several Spanish towns.

Thus,

with a 2.5 kW device the annual cost for its use would be between

, while with the same device

the cost would be between

.

How to reduce the use of air conditioning

But there are ways to be able to use air conditioning without the cost for the consumer being almost like a toothache.

The OCU recommends

.

"If it's too big, more electricity will be used than is needed because the unit may be running short but frequent cycles to reach the desired temperature. If it's too small, it will have to work too hard to get the house cool," they explain.

Placing the device in

is also important when it comes to reducing costs.

The location of the indoor unit must allow good air circulation in the room.

The outdoor unit had better not be exposed to extreme temperatures as it would have to work harder.

And, above all, adjust the temperature well.

In summer, for best efficiency,

.

For example, if it is 33°C outside, set it to 25°C.

In this way there will still be a considerable level of comfort and it will cost less, in addition to avoiding wear and tear on the equipment's engine.

In winter, the same, but regulating the appliance 8º above the outside temperature.

Tips to save energy in a heat wave

1. Regular maintenance

of the equipment and ensure that the filter is always clean.

2.

Use the

3.

On very hot days,

instead of waiting until the house is very hot, when it would have to work harder to cool it down.

4. Use zonal cooling

so that the system works only in the areas that are being used.

5. Schedule the air conditioner

to turn off while you sleep.

6. Keep the house cool and shaded

so the air conditioner doesn't have to work too hard.

7.

Install a

8.

Use the

9. Improve the insulation of the house

to reduce consumption.

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