With temperatures soaring during much of the summer, air conditioning has become an essential ally for many homes, but also one of the devices that can increase the electricity bill the most. Given this scenario, any gesture that allows you to keep the home cool before turning it on can help reduce its use and the associated expense.
One of them is as simple as lowering the blinds. Álvaro Pérez, a student of Business Administration and Management (ADE) and founder of Auro IA, an energy efficiency application that uses artificial intelligence to analyze bills and help homes and companies pay less for their essential services, recommends doing it before 10:00 a.m. and keeping them lowered during the hours of greatest solar exposure.
According to the data specified on the Auro IA website, a room with the blinds drawn during sunny hours can heat up to 30% less. In addition, keeping them closed until the afternoon can reduce air conditioning consumption by up to 25%. The cost of applying this advice is zero euros.
Why it is essential to lower the blinds before the heat comes in
The explanation is simple: the blinds act as a barrier against solar radiation. If the windows receive direct sunlight during the central hours of the day, part of that heat ends up accumulating inside the home and forces the air conditioning to work for longer to reach a comfortable temperature.
Therefore, the recommendation is to lower the blinds in the morning, before the sun heats the rooms, and keep them closed while solar radiation falls directly on the windows. The strategy can be combined with ventilation of the home during the coolest hours of the day.
The Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE) also recommends using awnings and blinds to reduce the heating of homes during the summer. Likewise, it is advisable to ventilate houses at night and first thing in the morning, when outside temperatures are lower.
The idea is simple: the less heat a room accumulates, the less the air conditioning will have to work later to cool it.
The Auro IA routine that will make you spend less on air conditioning
Auro IA also proposes a daily routine to use the air conditioning more efficiently during hot days. The strategy consists of keeping the home protected from the sun during the first hours, taking advantage of the hours in which it still maintains a comfortable temperature and concentrating the use of the device when necessary.
The plan detailed on their website is as follows:
- From 07:00 to 10:00: keep the house closed, with the blinds drawn and the air conditioning off.
- From 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.: take advantage of the fact that the home still maintains a pleasant temperature and keep the air off.
- From 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.: cool the home more intensely.
- From 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.: use eco mode or only use the fan if the temperature allows it.
- From 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.: keep the air off when possible and only use the fan.
- From 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.: use the air for about 40 minutes to cool the room before going to sleep and then turn it off.
According to data published on the startup’s website, following this routine instead of keeping the air conditioning on all day at 22ºC can reduce electricity costs associated with this use by up to 60%.
How much does an air conditioner consume according to the app’s estimates?
The final cost depends, among other factors, on the power of the device, the hours of operation, the size of the room and the outside temperature. Auro IA collects different estimates on its website depending on the type of equipment.
- A small fixed split, of about 7,000 BTU and between 800 and 1,000 watts of power, can consume around 0.8-1 kWh per hour. It is mainly designed to cool a room.
- A medium fixed split, of about 12,000 BTU and between 1,200 and 1,500 watts, can consume approximately 1.2-1.5 kWh per hour and is usually used for larger rooms, such as a living room or a large bedroom.
- Finally, a large fixed split, of about 18,000 BTU and between 1,800 and 2,500 watts, can reach a consumption of 1.8-2.5 kWh per hour and is designed to cool larger spaces.
In one of the examples published by Auro IA, a 1.2 kW device used for eight hours a day represents about 288 kWh per month. Applying an average price of 0.1973 euros per kWh, air conditioning could represent around 55-70 euros per month, although the real cost will depend on the specific conditions of each home and the contracted rate.
Therefore, in addition to looking for the most convenient electricity price, reducing operating hours and preventing heat from entering the home can make a difference in consumption.
Another recommendation from experts is to ventilate when it is cooler.
Lowering the blinds is not the only measure that allows you to delay turning on the air conditioning. The IDAE recommends ventilating the home at night and first thing in the morning, when the outside air is cooler.
During the hottest hours, however, it is advisable to keep the windows closed and protect them from the sun. It also recommends keeping the air conditioning at a temperature of 26ºC or higher as long as this is sufficient to maintain comfort.
With high temperatures becoming more frequent during the summer, these measures make it possible to reduce the operating time of the equipment without completely giving up air conditioning. In the case of blinds, furthermore, it is one of the few strategies whose cost for the home is literally zero.
If you want to read more articles similar to Álvaro Pérez, energy expert: “Lowering the blinds before 10 in the morning can reduce air conditioning consumption by 25%”, we recommend that you enter our Energy Savings category.
