But, not all the time does it cool the situation down especially when it is time to pay the electricity bill. Here is where we need to envisage on ways to accomplish better results without having to expend much from our pockets. You should always buy an energy efficient Air conditioner to keep the electricity bill down.

Let us see how and what the possibilities are.

Selecting from the different types
Each model is designed for specific purposes. Understanding each objective will give us the insight to choose the right one.
Area – If you live in a place that is particularly hot then you will need a split or packaged air-conditioner.
Size – Effective cooling is best observed when using the right sized AC for the right squares of room. You need to go for a bigger AC if your room takes up a large space.

Types of central air-conditioners
Central air-conditioners use the principle of pushing the air along the air passage (if present) in your homes. There are two variants available, split air conditioners and a packaged A/C system.

Split air-conditioners
A brilliant layout consisting of 2 fragments, one an exterior compressor and the other an interior fan system, together with works around circulating cool air inside your home. Also gives the advantage of reducing heat and loud noise by placing the louder part outside.

Packaged A/C systems
An air-conditioning system that involves dual heating technology. It is the most productive and budget-friendly air-conditioners in the market these days. If your apartment uses the technique of heating the air forcefully, this system of AC’s would be the most efficient and budget-friendly ones.

Other forms of air-conditioners
Window unit A/Cs – These come in a variety of sizes and are independent units which can either be placed permanently inside the building or can be put up as and when required.
Ductless mini-split A/C units – These would be the perfect option for those homes where tweaking ductwork would be too costly. Besides, these are extremely noiseless and power-enhancing with two separate compartments –the interior part and the exterior compressor.
Portable air-conditioners – Just like the window unit, portable AC’s have all the fundamental cooling segments and has a close resemblance to a dehumidifier. Most of the time you will be provided with a kit for ventilating the AC to the outdoors. At times there are even self-evaporative portions available however, we may need to manually empty the water tank at regular intervals.
Wi-Fi-qualified / smart air-conditioners – It uses the latest technology that allows you to control the AC using your smartphones. Devices like Amazon’s Alexa or Constellation’s smart home hub can also be linked easily giving you absolute control over the cooling mechanism. Another advantage is the timely assessment from the system giving you updated information about energy consumption and performance.
Inverter air-conditioners – A technology that created a revolution in the field of air conditioning, the so-called inverter uses just a minimal amount of energy to maintain the set temperature. It works at a variable speed depending on the cooling effect required and hence gives you the best results within lesser time.

Solar air-conditioning systems – In this air conditioner, the primary source of power is solar energy and therefore is the costliest of all the air conditioning systems.

Know your requirements
A regular room conditioner can best match the needs in small spaces where individuals would devote 95% of their time in a single room. As far as the central AC system is concerned, we can obtain unmatched results when placed in rooms that have a larger area with more number of people.
It is best advised to check on a variety of air-conditioners, have an exact idea on which would be a perfect choice and then finally buy the right AC. Don’t forget the BEE, EER, SEER check as it would help to save money and the ecosystem.

EER and SEER; understanding efficacy ratio
Most of the time we end up choosing the wrong products and the main reason is the lack of knowledge about its mechanism. While advertisements try to captivate us with their marketing ideas, we can still find the right appliance with proper know-how. You need to ask yourself, what determines the efficiency of an AC?
Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) determines the functional competence in the cooling effect of the AC at a fixed outdoor degree of 95. Higher the ratio higher would be its efficiency during the peak hour in a day. Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) on the other hand is used to measure the competency on the basis of seasons where there is maximum usage.
But, where is this displayed on the AC? The answer is to look for products that have the Energy Star rating. Products with more number of stars are those that are efficient in terms of energy consumption and in saving the environment.

What to look for at an AC shop?
It makes a great difference in using an AC that best matches your home and the one that does not. The difference primarily reflects on your electricity bill. Here’s how will figure the right one for us.
1. Dimensions
Depending on the size of your room, your AC needs to be somewhere around ‘not too small or not too large’ size. The reason being that a bigger AC would over cool your room making it damp and dank where a small AC would have to put extra work cooling the entire room, obviously leading to higher power consumption.
2. The smartest way of setting the cooling effect
Almost all air-conditioners these days come with a digital screen where you can set the temperatures to specific degrees and can even program the AC to turn on and off as and when required. Central air conditioners have even better smart ways of doing this.
3. Save-the-power technique
This is a brilliant technology where the AC can automatically detect the space being cooled off. Simultaneously, it would turn off the entire unit along with the fan thereby reducing lesser power consumption.
4. Ratings- EER & SEER
Both rooms, as well as central air conditioners, have these ratings which measure the efficiency of power utilized. As mentioned, both are similar to their purposes but the SEER is used for checking the efficiency during a particular season.
5. Credentials- Energy Star
Once you have decided the best air conditioner for your home be sure to check for the blue ENERGY STAR® certificate. It is a guarantee that the AC unit has equaled the efficiency criterion than other units.
6. AC with Wi-Fi
You will get to find a number of AC’s that are smart enough to take instructions even from your smartphones. The result is that you can adjust the AC with maximum energy saving possibility.

What is the right size of your AC?
First, you need to take accurate measurements of the room where you would like to place the AC. Then compare it with an ENERGY STAR® chart to find out how many BTU’s you would require to cool the entire size of your room. BTU is a unit to measure the efficiency of a particular AC and it varies for different types of AC. If you are opting a central air-conditioning system you would also have to analyze its ‘tonnage’. One ‘ton’ is equal to 12000 BTU per hour with varying dimensions from 1-5ton. Tonnage would largely depend on mainly 2 factors; climatic conditions and the size of your home. You can easily find a sizing guideline that will help you select the right size of AC for your home.

How important is an Energy Guide Label?
The bright yellow label on the AC is where you will find a lot of useful information. You can simply compare this label between different models without wasting your time researching the benefits of each product.
Check out these on the label:
1. The type of air conditioner and its specialty, if any
2. Size of the device and the model
3. The price of the AC
4. The Price range of models, help to compare and choose
5. EER Rating; higher the better
6. ENERGY STAR® credential

Boost your Air-conditioner’s efficiency
It is not just the right AC that brings out its efficiency. The way you handle it also matters. Let us see some of the basic rules for the air-conditioning of our homes.
1. Summer is when the usage reaches its peak and therefore it is during this time you need to set the AC to parallel the standard thermostat levels of 78 degrees for saving the power consumption.
2. It is best to turn the AC off during the night as the air is mostly cooler. You can probably turn on the fan and open your windows.
3. Light in your room actually produces heat that would cost the AC to work harder trying to beat the heat. It is ideal to turn all the lights in a room that is not in use. Would give more shelf-life to your AC.
4. When there is no one around, raise the reading to a few degrees so that the load on the AC is lowest.
5. Ceiling fans are a great option as they can evenly distribute the air in a room more effectively than an AC. But, just make sure to install them in the right direction, ideally, in a counterclockwise position that directs all the air downwards.
6. Make sure to fill any gap that has occurred during the installation of the AC. Chances are more for the hot air from outside to enter the room thereby reducing the cooling effect of the AC.
7. While using window units, keep in mind to clean them regularly. Accumulation of dirt and dust can affect the working of the AC especially when it has vents and the filter.

All Infographics by: BEEINDIA