Australians have no better friend than their air conditioner. It’s there for us in warm times, and it’s even got our back in the colder months. Air conditioners, we salute you! However, not all air conditioners are as reliable, effective and easy to use as we would like, so you’re advised to do your research before buying – otherwise you might be left feeling a little hot under the collar. So where do you find the best air conditioner? Well, you start by comparing brands with our customer reviews. The ratings table you see above reflects the honest opinions of hundreds of Aussie consumers who have recently bought and used a new air con unit. No one knows better than these people which brands are really delivering on their cooling (or heating) promises. This year we’ve had a changing of the guard, with Panasonic replacing Fujitsu General at the top of the table. Panasonic has been rated 5 stars in Overall Customer Satisfaction for air conditioners, winning the Canstar Blue award for 2016.

On top of this, Panasonic secured a five star rating in every single research category: A pioneer of modern air con innovation, Panasonic is leading the energy efficiency revolution in home cooling. Its invertor operating system allows air conditioners to vary the rotation speed of their compressors, which results in reduced energy consumption without compromising the set temperature. What’s more, Panasonic’s aptly-named ‘ECONAVI’ intelligent sensors monitor the movements of people in the room and can adjust the air conditioner’s output accordingly. So if there is no one in the room, it will reduce its cooling power and stop you wasting money. In addition to awesome energy efficiency, Panasonic’s air conditioners also boast technology that ensures clean and purified air is being pumped through your home, called nanoe-G. The system uses ‘nano-technology’ consisting of ions and radicals to purify the air in the room and help protect against bacteria and viruses.

Of course, air conditioner features like these do not come cheap, but Panasonic has scored a five-star rating on value for money, so we can assume customers think the technology is worth paying for. You can find out more about Panasonic air conditioners, and the other bands featured in this review, by clicking on their name in the ratings table above.air handling unit for heating Once you’re decided on the best air conditioner brand, it‘s time to narrow things down by choosing which type of air conditioner is right for your home. cost of running an ac unitIf you’re not familiar with the different types available in Australia, here is a quick rundown of the most common ones:cheap home air conditioning units See our Air Conditioner Buying Guide for a more comprehensive overview of different types of systems and the types of features you should look out.

An air conditioner is likely to be the most expensive home appliance you’ll buy, so you need to understand exactly what you’re getting. Once you have decided which type of system you are going with, your next decision should be around size and power. This begins with determining the size of the room your prospective air conditioner is required to cool. Air conditioner sizes are measured in ‘kilowatt’ capacities. As a guide, these room sizes would require the following size air conditioners to produce effective results: While the brand of air conditioner you buy – and the type of features it comes with – will partly determine how much you pay, the cost of most models will ultimately be decided by their size. As the table above illustrates, the size and kilowatt capacity of air conditioners can vary greatly, which means prices do too. The following table shows what you can expect to pay for each size split-system unit: It stands to reason that the larger your air conditioner and the room it cools, the more you will pay in ongoing electricity costs.

The energy star rating of your unit will also play a big role. As a guide, the following table shows estimated annual running costs for three different room sizes, based on split-system units, 300 hours of usage throughout the year and an electricity price of 28c per kWh. You’ll find more help advice on the South Australian Government website. To make sure you’re getting maximum energy efficiency from your air conditioner, you need to ensure it’s running properly. Our survey of households found that 41% respondents have never cleaned the internal filter of their unit, while 37% have never cleaned the external unit, or even the area surrounding it. Failure to do so will mean your air conditioner needs to work harder to keep you cool, thus using more energy and increasing your power bills. If your air conditioner is long overdue some attention, we recommend our cleaning guide.Your home's heating and cooling system should provide convenience and comfort to your indoor environment.

Today, many homeowners are concerned about controlling their energy budgets and usage, while still maintaining the comfort they desire in the home. Free Bonus Download: Download our Cheat sheet for Recommended Thermostat Settings in PDF format. Easily save it to your computer or print it out for reference when the seasons change. One simple solution to managing your heating and cooling system is to adjust your thermostat settings, according to your habits and preferences. Consider, "What temperature settings will provide personal comfort and cost efficiency for you?" Here, we discuss recommended thermostat settings that offer adequate comfort for most people and are sure to save you money on your utility bills. During the warm weather, it is generally recommended that you set your home's cooling system to 78 degrees Fahrenheit when you are home. If you will be out of the house for four or more hours, consider raising the setting so the cooling system only comes on if the temperature tops 88 degrees Fahrenheit. 

It is estimated that for every degree higher you set your thermostat over 78 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer months, you could save approximately six to eight percent off your home energy bill, per degree. So, keeping your home's temperature slightly higher and using the best settings for spring and summer can ultimately help save you money. Later in this article, we give an overview of the benefits of installing a programming thermostat to easily manage your thermostat throughout the day. In the winter, you can save energy and keep your costs in check by keeping your thermostat at 68 degrees Fahrenheit while you are at home during the daytime. Energy.gov reports that turning your thermostat lower by 10 to 15 degrees for 8 hours per day will help you see an energy usage reduction of 5 to 15 percent per year on your bill. Depending on your family's personal comfort preferences, one idea you may consider is lowering the thermostat at night while you sleep. Many people find it comfortable to sleep in a cooler environment while using winter blankets to regulate warmth.

It's important to note that indoor humidity plays a role in the comfort of the air in your home. Read here about managing the humidity in your home to help you achieve your desired comfort level. Installing a programmable thermostat in your home will let you run a scheduled heating and cooling program without having to remember to manually change your settings throughout the day. Most programmable thermostats are able to automatically adjust the temperature in your home up to six or more times per day. You can also manually override the automatic settings if you need to at any time without interrupting the daily or weekly programming. A programmable thermostat offers such ease of use, that it's easy to set your home's temperature lower while you are asleep or during the day when you are at work.  In the summer months, raising your home's cooling temperature to over 78 degrees Fahrenheit for eight hours per day — a typical work day — can really make a difference in your utility bills.

When programming your thermostat, just take into consideration your daily schedule. In the winter, do you like to sleep in a cool house?  If you like your home cooler at night, set your thermostat to a lower setting about an hour before you actually go to bed so the house starts to cool down. Prior to waking up, you might want to set the thermostat so the heat comes on approximately two hours before you actually get up so the house is nice and warm. You should also consider adjusting the thermostat anytime your house is vacant for four or more hours per day. Typically, adjusting temperatures 5 – 8 degrees (down in winter, up in summer) can help save energy if you are going to be away from home for several hours. Here are a few tips and benefits of a programmable thermostat from Energy Star: You can read about more benefits of using a programmable thermostat in . A home's comfort level is determined by who lives within the home. When evaluating your settings, you'll want to consider, "What indoor temperature will provide personal comfort for my family and cost efficiency?"