Air Con Energy Efficiency

What is an Energy Rating Label?

Since March 2005, by law, all air conditioners available for sale in the EC must carry an Energy Rating Label at the point of sale and on the packaging.  This allows air conditioners’s efficiencies to be measured to one single international standard – the EN14511. Each air conditioner must be rated between A to G.  A being the most efficient, G being the least efficient.

Energy Efficient Air Conditioners & the A-G Scale

Energy efficient air conditioners use less energy than inefficient ones, while performing to the same standards.  This means efficient air conditioners cost less to run, so they save you money every time you use them.

What are the benefits of energy efficient appliances?

Eco Friendly, Eco Friendly, we are constantly reminding ourselves of this.  Buying an energy efficient product is just doing our bit to be as Eco Friendly as we can.  Energy efficient appliances help save energy, money and the environment.  They save you money because they use less electricity than inefficient appliances.  The savings can really add up.

They use less electricity, so they’re responsible for fewer greenhouse gas emissions at the electricity power station.  Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) are changing the earth’s climate, causing temperatures to increase and sea levels to rise.  If everyone in the UK who owns an air conditioner switched to an A-rated air conditioner, the energy saved would save over 35 million double decker buses of CO2!

How can I tell if an air conditioner is energy efficient?

Energy efficient air conditioners are easy to spot; just look out for the Energy Efficiency label; if it’s A-rated, you can be sure it’s energy efficient.

What is the EU Energy Rating?

The EU Energy Rating measures energy efficiency on a seven point scale from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient).

The rating covers a variety of household appliances including fridges, freezers and fridge-freezers, washing machines, electric tumble driers, electric ovens and air conditioners. A product with an A rating will have passed a rigorous, impartial testing procedure, so you can be sure of its high energy efficiency.

What does the Energy Star logo mean?

The Energy Star scheme rates the energy efficiency of office equipment.  It helps you identify equipment that will save you money and help protect the environment.  You can find the Energy Star logo on equipment such as computers, printers, monitors, faxes, scanners and photocopiers.  The savings can be really significant; energy consumption for a new PC and printer varies between 40kWh/year and 400kWh/year and corresponding running costs range from £3 to £28 per year.

How can I run my air conditioner more efficiently?

Whether your appliances are energy efficient or not, it’s still possible save money by following these tips:

– You need to be sure that you measure the room carefully when choosing which cooling capacity air conditioner to buy.

– Make sure that the room doors and windows are closed when the air conditioning is on.

– Set your air conditioner on a timer or the economy mode wherever possible

– Ensure that you set the desired temperature and give the room time to “climatise” rather than select a higher than required tempearature to “cool down” or “heat up” the room quickly and readjust the temperature.