How much electricity is my AC unit using when it's on "fan"? September 28, 2008   Subscribe Does my window air conditioner use just as much electricity on the "fan" setting as it does on the "cool" setting?You are here: ››››SENSEX27,86638.43NIFTY 508,61119.90GOLD (MCX) (Rs/10g.)31,18924.00USD/INR66.61-0.25PortfolioStocksMFETFGet ET Markets in your own languageDOWNLOAD THE APP NOWCHOOSE LANGUAGEENGENG - EnglishHIN - HindiGUJ - GujaratiMAR - MarathiBEN - BengaliKAN - KannadaORI - OriyaTEL - TeluguTAM - TamilFive ways to keep your power bills lowREAD MORE ON » united states | Department of Energy | ACSummer means high energy consumption and high electricity bills. But small steps can whittle away power costs. Summer means high energy consumption and high electricity bills. 1. Switch off that fan The power saver in us is quick to switch off lights and replace regular tubelights and bulbs with CFL and LED. But lights are used only after dark, while fans run all day and night.

Thus, fans have a bigger impact on power bills. While a tubelight consumes around 55 watts per hour, an average fan consumes 75 watts. Old models and inexpensive fans can guzzle up to 90 watts. Replacing your old fan with a power-saver model makes sense as a BEE rated fan consumes around 50 watts. shows an eight-year-old fan consumes as much as 92 watts on full speed, twice as much a BEE-rated fan. Today, super energy efficient models are available, which use around 35 watts. The average cost of operating a fan is Rs 5 per unit. HOW MUCH YOU CAN SAVE Used for 8 hours a day, the approximate bill in a year for a normal fan: Rs 1,095 A BEE-rated fan: Rs 730 A super efficient fan: Rs 511 Potential savings: Rs 365-584 a year 2. Go easy with the AC The air-conditioner is the biggest power guzzler among household appliances. If you are planning to buy an AC, a BEE-rated model is a good option. If the choice is between a split and window AC, the split makes more money sense. , "A 5-star rated window AC is as power efficient as a 4-star split AC.

Also, look for an AC with a built-in inverter. Though more expensive, it consumes much less power." An old 1.5 tonne AC uses around 1.5 units per hour, while an inverter AC uses only 0.91 units per hour. HOW MUCH YOU CAN SAVE Used 5 hours a day, the approximate bill for an old AC in a year: Rs 27,372 Inverter AC: Rs 16,670 Potential savings : Rs 10,702 a year 3. carrier ac package unitsPlace the fridge right A refrigerator accounts for 15% of a household's total power consumption. air conditioner outside unitsYou can make your fridge more power efficient by placing it in a way to allow air circulation around it. basic components of air handling unitIt should be at least 2 inches away from the wall. Do not expose it to direct sunlight—it will need more power to function.

Don't stuff your fridge full, there won't be enough space for air to circulate inside, reducing the efficiency of the unit. Ice accumulation impacts energy consumption, so defrost regularly. If you are buying a new fridge, go for BEE-rated one. Big fridges and ones with features like instant ice maker use more energy. Replacing an old refrigerator with a new BEE-rated one, can save Rs 1,500 a year on power bills. HOW MUCH YOU CAN SAVE Approximate annual power bill on an old refrigetaror: Rs 4,468 BEE-rated refrigerator: Rs 2,916 Potential savings : Rs 1,552 a year 4. Reduce standby consumption It's not enough to just switch off a device. If you don't turn off the main switch the device is connected to, you will continue to pay for the standby power. According to a study conducted by the Department of Energy in the US, a DVD player's standby power consumption is around 7.54 W, and a set-top box's 17.8 W. Switch off the electric point for appliances which are not being used. It is safer to unplug the cord.

According to a government report, standby power use in a household accounts for nearly 2% of power consumed. HOW MUCH YOU CAN SAVE Annual power bill without unplugging appliances: Rs 24,000 After unplugging appliances: Rs 23,550 Potential savings: Rs 450 a year 5. Analyse your bill If you think your electricity bill is too high, analyse it. Detect the possible issues and take corrective measures. has an online bill calculator which helps you understand the various components of your bill. It gives you approximate figures to show how much your are paying for various appliances in the house. You could save Rs 3,000 a year in electricity bills if you switch from using a desktop to a laptop. Switching from a 1-star refrigerator (200 lts) to 5-star could save you Rs 2,297 yearly. HOW MUCH YOU CAN SAVE Approximate annual power bill when using a desktop at home: Rs 4,476 Laptop: Rs 1,167 Potential savings: Rs 3,309 a year FEATURED ARTICLES'Substantial rise in CSR spending compared to previous year'Amit Shah praises Assam government for evicting illegal settlers from Kaziranga National ParkBlack money: IT department targeting small traders but not big businessmen like Vijay Mallya

, says Arvind KejriwalMore:Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio charges mobile association COAI with bias, wants charter overhauledGovernment departments, PSUs eye Ola, Uber ride sans 'surge' pricingAre Pakistan militant camps at striking distance from India?Pakistan accuses PM Narendra Modi of irresponsible behaviourPakistan not left path of terror despite India's peace overtures: Ramdas AthawaleSwiss spy law seen passing with voters on security concernsRelease Date: March 7, 2013 For decades, space heating and cooling (space conditioning) accounted for more than half of all residential energy consumption. Estimates from the most recent Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), show that 48% of energy consumption in U.S. homes in 2009 was for heating and cooling, down from 58% in 1993. Release Date: February 12, 2013 Analysis from EIA's most recent Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) shows that U.S. homes built in 2000 and later consume only 2% more energy on average than homes built prior to 2000, despite being on average 30% larger.