Heating and cooling accounts for 30 to 40 percent (%) of the energy used in a typical Australian home. You can reduce the energy you use by making a few simple and practical changes.
Simple steps to cool your home
You can use the right combination of cooling appliances, items in your home, and our environment to help cool your home efficiently.
Find out more in the Home Heating and Cooling Guide (PDF, 9.3 MB)
- Setting your thermostat to 24 to 27°C, or higher if you are comfortable, will reduce running costs.
- Switch off appliances not in use, especially any that generate heat. For example chargers, televisions, computers, and lights with warm bulbs.
- Invest in house plants. They can absorb heat, improve air quality and add extra shade near windows.
- Use lighter coloured materials around the house. Dark colours absorb more light and radiate it as heat. The same applies for your roof, so consider lighter colours when replacing or painting it.
- Remove floor rugs to expose cooler flooring, such as tiles and floorboards.
- Make sure fans are switched to summer mode to create a cooling effect. This can reduce the temperature the room feels like by 3°C when the fan is facing you.
- Follow the maintenance instructions for your cooling appliances and have them serviced regularly. This could include regularly cleaning the filters, fan blades or vents.
- Prepare your home during the day, so you are not trying to cool a hot house at night. For example, close blinds and curtains before the sun hits the window and heats the room. Consider using your air conditioner on a timer while you're not at home to maintain a cooler house during the day .
Keep out unwanted heat by shading north and west sides of your home from summer sun. Adjustable external shading, leafy plants and closing curtains and blinds will help keep you home cool in summer while letting winter sun in to keep your home in winter.
Installing insulation in your ceiling and walls can significantly reduce transfer at your home. Different climate zones in South Australia require different levels of insulation.
In summer a house that isn't well insulated will gain most of its heat through the ceilings and windows. Walls also contribute to heat gain, as well as air leeks around doors.
By law, all new homes and additions must have insulation.
We recommend that every home is insulated to lower your energy bills and improve your comfort year round.
If your home is older, consider adding or replacing insulation, and if you rent talk to your landlord about having this done.
Make sure your installer has the SA builder's licence that permits them to install insultation.
Check your climate zone and speak to your installer about the best R value to suit your home and specific needs.
When using a refrigerative air conditioner, only cool the areas you need by:
- Closing internal doors to seal conditioned from un-conditioned spaces, and using zone controls on a ducted whole-of-house air conditioning system. conditioning system.
- Sealing gaps around doors and windows to reduce wasted energy.
Evaporative air conditioners work differently and require some doors and windows to be opened to increase air flow.
With either system , follow the manufacturer’s instructions to make sure you are using it effectively and efficiently, such as keeping the filters clean.
If it's cooler outside at night, turn off your air conditioner and open doors and windows to allow cooler breezes in. Window locks and lockable screen doors are available to keep your home safe.
Choosing cooling appliances
Knowing how much your appliance costs to run will help keep track of your energy costs. Use this information to help you select the best cooling appliance for your needs, and view the estimated hourly running cost for different tariffs and plans.
Fans
- are the cheapest type of cooling appliance to run
- create air movement that helps carry heat away and move natural breezes through your home
- can be used at the same time as other cooling appliances to help move cool air around your home.
Evaporative coolers
- use small amounts of energy but also have a small, additional water cost
- work well in dry weather but can be less effective when it’s humid
- need good ventilation
- can also be operated as a large fan without the water cooling.
Refrigerative air conditioners
- cool air to a set temperature by removing heat from the room
- work better in humid or higher summer temperatures, but typically cost more to run than evaporative coolers
- work best in well-insulated and draught-proofed homes with closed windows
- work more efficiently when zoning controls are used, and doors are closed to unused rooms or unconditioned spaces
- reverse cycle systems can be used for both heating and cooling.
- come in two main types – wall or floor mounted split stems typically with one or two outlets, and ducted whole of home systems. Note ducted systems will typically use a lot more energy than single split systems.
Ducting
- if your ducting is poor quality or has deteriorated, it could be wasting energy
- a qualified professional can help reduce the loss of air by sealing or insulating your ducts
- when purchasing a system or replacing ducting, look for an R-value of at least 1.5 for the ducting, and 0.6 for the fittings.
| Cooling appliance | Hourly running costs | Works best in | |
|---|---|---|---|
Ceiling and portable fans |
Flat rate 3 to 5 cents |
Time of use: 2 to 3 cents (shoulder) 3 to 4 cents (off-peak) 4 to 5 cents (peak) | Models available for all room sizes |
Portable evaporative |
Flat rate, includes water costs 5 to 6 cents |
Time of use, includes water costs: 3 to 4 cents (shoulder) 4 to 5 cents (off-peak) 6 to 8 cents (peak) | Rooms up to 20 square metres (20 m2) |
Portable refrigerative |
Flat rate 55 to 75 cents |
Time of use: 31 to 41 cents (shoulder) 43 to 59 cents (off-peak) 67 to 90 cents (peak) | Rooms up to 20 m2 |
Medium split and window refrigerative system |
Flat rate 44 to 60 cents |
Time of use: 24 to 33 cents (shoulder) 35 to 47 cents (off-peak) 53 to 72 cents (peak) | Rooms up to 36 m2 |
Large split refrigerative system |
Flat rate 69 to 93 cents |
Time of use: 46 to 62 cents (shoulder) 54 to 72 cents (off-peak) 83 cents to $1.13 (peak) | Rooms up to 75 m2 |
Ducted evaporative systems |
Flat rate, includes water costs 44 to 59 cents |
Time of use: 24 to 33 cents (shoulder) 34 to 47 cents (off-peak) 53 to 72 cents (peak) | |
Ducted refrigerative systems |
Flat rate $1.79 to $2.43 |
Time of use: 99 cents to $1.35 (shoulder) $1.41 to $1.92 (off-peak) $2.17 to $2.98 (peak) |
Whole of house (200 m2 home with 125 m2 cooled) |
Notes
Running costs are a guide only. Calculations are based on AGL’s standing retail contract electricity rates, which are generally aligned with the regulated Default Market Offer.
South Australia’s distributor, SAPN (SA Power Networks) quotes the following times for time of use tariffs:
- Peak: 6:00 am to 10 am and 4 pm to midnight
- Off-peak: Midnight to 6 am
- Solar sponge: 10 am to 4 pm
- Flat rate tariffs are charged at the same rate all day, but may be stepped based on usage.
Contact the Energy Advisory Service for more information.
You can also get a more accurate idea of how much your cooling costs you to run by:
- calculating your running costs
- using a plug-in power meter – free as part of a Home Energy Toolkit.
Talk to a cooling specialist about the best option for your needs when buying an appliance. The specialist can work out the right cooling power output (rated in kilowatts (kW)) for the size of the area, size and location of windows, and ceiling height.
A cooling appliance that is too small will:
- not effectively cool your home
- work constantly for longer periods
- result in higher than necessary running costs.
Use these cooling outputs as a guide to what could be appropriate for your home.
(Note this is not a substitute for seeking specialist air conditioning advice.)
Room size up to:
- 20 m2 is 1.5 to 2.8 kW cooling output capacity
- 30 m2 is 2.8 to 4.2 kW cooling output capacity
- 40 m2 is 4.2 to 5.6 kW cooling output capacity
- 50 m2 is 5.6 to 7.0 kW cooling output capacity
- 60 m2 is 7.0 to 8.4 kW cooling output capacity.
Consider the costs associated with installing, running and maintaining the appliance, as well as the purchase price when shopping for a new appliance.
Some appliances can be cheap to buy and run on an hourly basis, but the cooling effectiveness could be limited. For example, a portable refrigerated unit might not be enough to cool a large room, but a ducted evaporative system might be able to cool an entire home and cost only a little more per hour to run.
Some refrigerated air conditioners will have an energy rating label that you can use to compare the energy use and efficiency of different appliances. The more stars the better. If two systems have the same kW cooling output capacity but one has more stars than the other, it means it will use less power to achieve the same cooling output and will cost you less to run.
You can compare the estimated running costs of new appliances on the Energy Rating website.
Buying a new cooling appliance can also be a good time to consider your best options for heating. In South Australia, cooling may be needed for a few months and heating up to five months during the year depending on climate zone.
Installing heating and cooling appliances that can serve both functions, such as reverse cycle air conditioning or an evaporative cooler paired with a small panel heater can help to reduce installation, running costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
Following the manufacturer’s maintenance and cleaning instructions helps your appliance run as efficiently as possible and keeps it safe.
