Reduce your Electric Bill with a Window Air ConditionerPosted on Jul 29, 2008 by Paul WhiteIntroductionOur house is newer ( built in 2005 ).  So of course you would think that maybe it would have newer stuff.  Wiring, Appliances, and most of all a newer AC unit.  Well it turns out that with most newer homes one of the things builders skimp out on is a high efficiency AC unit.  After reading the sticker on ours I found that it was a 10 SEER unit.  The year after our house was build the lowest that could be installed in a new home was raised to 12 SEER by federal law.  Our Utility costs are about 15 cents / KWH.  Last month we went through over 2000 KWH.  I am not sure if Global warming is to blame but one thing I did notice was the average temperature for the month of June was 94 degrees,  compared to 88 degrees last year.  We used 600 KWH more this June than last.  What is a KWH?For those of you who don't have a concept of what a KWH is here is an explanation.  Its basically how many 1000 watts you consume in 1 hour. 

Lets say you have a 60 watt light bulb. And you leave it on 24 hours a day.  This bulb consumers .06 KWH.  This times how many hours you leave it on will give you your KWH usage. Utility companies charge per KWH.  This rate can vary from 4 cents up to over 25 cents / KWH.  Here in Texas we pay about 15 cents / KWH.  The ProblemBy far the biggest consumer of electricty is your home's Central Air Conditioner.  After doing some research I figured that this was the cause of our high electric bills.  Unlike many, both me and my wife work out of the home.  Since we both work out of the home we don't have the luxury of turning down the AC during the day.  But then the problem is not so much that we have home offices, but it is that I like it to stay around 72 and my wife is comfortable at 75.  My office is towards the front of the house, while hers is at the back.  Now the question is why should I keep 2000 SQFT of house 72 degrees when I only need about 150 SQFT ( my office ) to be comfortable during the day. 

After talking with some people, I realized that we could benefit from upgrading our home's Air Conditioning unit, but this would cost around 8K-12K.  This would cut our electric bill in half, but it would take several years to make up the difference.  I also looked at installing solar panels, and or a wind Turbine to make up the difference. But each of these options were more expensive than just upgrading our home's AC unit.The SolutionThe conclusion I came to was that the only solution was to install a dedicated window air conditioner in my office.  I had browsed some stores online to get a feel of the cost.  I found the perfect little unit at Sams Club.  It was a GE 6000 BTU Window unit that cost about $148.  The unit came with a digital display, remote control, and all installation hardware.  The installation was easy.  The unit has a special energy saving mode, to help keep energy usage to a minimum.  It also has more than enough cooling power for my little office.How much Power does it use?

One of the biggest concerns I had was how much power would it consume?  I used my Kilawatt meter to see.  When the fan is going it uses 50-60 watts.  When the compressor is on it uses 500-650 watts.  I have the meter running on it to track what its total usage is within 24 hours.  outside ac unit not runningThis will help me guage how much it will cost me to operate this for the month.  window air conditioner without filterOf course by using this instead of Central Air Conditioning, should save me a bundle.  car a/c repair houstonI estimate this window unit will pay for itself in 1 month.UpdateAfter tracking the usage for 24 hours. ( 14 hours  on ).  and with my thermostat set to 72, the unit consumed 4.46 KWH.If we multiple this by 30 days in a month we get 133.8 KWH. 

Times my utility rate of 15 cents / KWH = $20.07.So on average to run this unit in my office 14 hours / day it should cost me about $20 / month.Yesterday I was at Lowes. and I noticed they have a window AC unit for under $100.  It didn't have any of the cool features like energy saver, or digital display or a remote control, but it might get the job done.  If you have a membership at Sams Club, you can't go wrong with the GE brand window air conditioners. Categories associated with Reduce your Electric Bill with a Window Air ConditionerHome OwnershipSaving Energy Needed to confirm comment, but not made public. Email me when someone comments on this blogDuctless mini-split systems are increasing in popularity because they offer effective, efficient cooling in one or multiple areas. They provide greater temperature control since each indoor unit works independently and can be set to different temperatures—allowing you to cool certain parts of your home without cooling the entire space.

This zone cooling helps decrease energy usage since you're only cooling parts your home that you actually use as opposed to cooling your entire home like a central air conditioner. For quick access to the sections in this buying guide, click the links below: Ductless systems are made up of 4 components: Mini-splits have distinct advantages over other room air conditioners: A single-zone ductless split system cools an area of your home using 1 outdoor and 1 indoor unit. These are popular in bedrooms or rooms that aren't ducted for central air conditioning. The main consideration with single-zone ACs is if the unit has enough power to cover your room's square footage. View single zone ductless mini splits. Multi-zone mini splits work just like single-zone models but cool more parts of your home or business. Each indoor unit (representing a zone) connects to the outdoor unit through the refrigerant lines. There are generally up to 4 indoor zones. If you don’t have central air conditioning, consider using a multi-zone system to cool different areas of your home—which can be on multiple floor levels thanks to long refrigerant lines.

Multi-zone models are popular in basements, doctor's offices, and apartments. The single outdoor unit is equipped to handle all interior units, though usually all can't be used on the highest level at the same time. View multi-zone ductless mini splits. Each indoor ductless unit offers a set number of BTUs of cooling power. For single-zone units, you simply need to know the number of BTUs associated with the indoor unit and make sure it fits the square footage you're cooling. For multiple zone systems, both the outdoor and indoor units have a BTU rating attached to them. One benefit of a ductless split system is each indoor unit runs independently. Keep in mind if you're purchasing a multi-zone system, you need to look at the BTU rating for each unit (or zone). For example, an AC may use 30,000 BTUs total, with each indoor unit using 9,000 BTUs and the outside unit using 12,000 BTUs. Check out our square footage and BTU comparison chart below. Installing mini split ACs require professional installation since you run the refrigerant lines indoors from outside your home through a small hole in your wall.

You'll need to contact an HVAC professional to be sure your AC is installed to run as effectively and efficiently as possible. Indoor Unit Location Options Most indoor air conditioning units are hung on a wall using included brackets, while other models are hung from the ceiling. Be sure your refrigerant lines will reach each indoor hanging unit before you install them. Check where your indoor units can be installed before you purchase a mini split AC. Voltage is another important consideration for your ductless mini split's insatllation. Smaller-powered mini splits use a standard 110- to 120-volt plug, which most homes are wired for, but larger units require higher voltage. These models use a 220- to 240-volt plug; make sure your home's voltage matches your unit's before purchasing. Using the incorrect voltage can cause the circuit to break, a loss of efficiency, or even cause a fire. Mini split systems are efficient ways to cool your home. Their efficiency is measured by a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER).

The higher the SEER, the more efficient the unit. Currently, federal requirements state mini splits must have a 13.0 SEER rating to be used in the United States. Another energy rating to look out for is Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER), which looks at energy usage per square foot of cooling. SEER and EER both rate your product's efficiency, so keep an eye out for one or the other when comparing products. Along with SEER (and possibly EER) ratings, your model should come with an estimated yearly operating cost. This is an average dollar amount associated with your model based on operating and maintenance costs—if you're comparing 2 models, check out the estimated yearly cost before purchasing. If a model is extremely efficient, it can become Energy Star-rated. In order to become Energy Star-rated, models must prove to significantly contribute to energy savings and offers products and performance demanded by consumers. Replacing an inefficient cooling system with a mini-split can cut your heating and cooling costs by up to 30%.

The outdoor unit is the compressor, and it's one of the most important parts of a mini-split AC. The 2 main compressor types for mini splits are inverter and rotary. A rotary compressor turns on and off while working to maintain your set temperature, while an inverter compressor uses only enough power to reach the desired setting, then idles at that setting until more power is needed. A rotary compressor will turn on with full power, while an inverter compressor only uses enough of its resources to reduce the room temperature to your desired setting. Many people prefer inverter compressors because they save energy by not constantly turning on and off. Most new ductless mini splits use inverter compressors. Mini splits can include multiple modes to keep your home full of crisp, cool air in the summer and warm air in the winter. Additional modes are popular for people who don’t have central air conditioners and use their mini-split AC as their primary cooling option. Keep an eye out for these modes for year-round comfort: