Why Your Air-conditioner Is Driving Up Your Power Bill (and How to Cut It)

You know the moment! The power bill lands after a long Perth summer, or a cold snap through winter and the number is higher than you expected again. For most households, one appliance is doing more to push that figure up than any other: the Air-conditioner.

Here is the frustrating part! In a Perth climate, you run your Air-conditioner hard across both cooling and heating seasons and simply switching it off is not a realistic option when you are trying to stay comfortable at home. So the usual advice to "just use it less" only gets you so far. The good news is there is a way to genuinely reduce what your Air-conditioning costs to run, without buying a new system and without changing how you use it. Here is how to reduce your air conditioner electricity bill in a way that actually lasts.

Where the money actually goes

A reverse-cycle Air-conditioner works by moving heat out of your home in summer and into it in winter. That process draws a lot of electricity and it draws the most exactly when you need it most: the peak of a heatwave, or the coldest mornings of the year. That is why running costs feel worst at the very times you cannot do without it.

If you have ever wondered why your Air-conditioner uses so much power, or what it actually costs per hour to run, the honest answer is that it depends on the size of the system, how long you run it and, crucially, how efficiently it operates. That last factor is where most homeowners have the most room to save and it is the one almost nobody talks about.

The efficiency almost nobody hears about

Here is something that rarely comes up when people talk about cutting cooling and heating costs: the refrigerant circulating inside your Air-conditioner unit has a direct effect on how efficiently the whole system runs.

Refrigerant is the substance that carries heat in and out of your home. It is easy to assume they all perform the same way, but they do not. The type of refrigerant in your Air-conditioner unit influences how hard the system has to work to reach the temperature you want and how much electricity it burns getting there. Change what is inside and you can change what it costs to run.

How converting your refrigerant cuts the bill

This is where Engas comes in. Engas is a natural blended hydrocarbon refrigerant and through a process is called a Retro-fit, which can be used to convert the Air-conditioner refrigerant within the unit you already own. You are not replacing your system. You are upgrading what runs within it.

The result is a more efficient Air-conditioner. Based on Engas testing, homeowners can see 25 to 40% electricity savings across both cooling and heating. That saving is not a one-off. Once your Air-conditioner refrigerant is converted, it keeps running more efficiently and keeps saving, for the life of the Air-conditioner.

The conversion itself is straightforward. There is no new system to buy, no days of installation and no major disruption to your home. A qualified technician converts your existing Air-conditioner unit in a matter of hours and you carry on using it exactly as before, just at a lower running cost.

What is involved

A Retro-fit is a conversion, not a replacement, which is a big part of why it is so much simpler and more affordable than installing a whole new system. To be suitable, your Air-conditioning unit needs to be in good working order and reasonably accessible for the technician.

The best way to find out whether your system is a good candidate and what the conversion would cost for your particular Air-conditioner, is a free quotation. There is no obligation and it gives you a clear picture of the savings before you decide anything.

Ready to cut your running costs?

If your Air-conditioning is one of the biggest costs on your power bill, converting to Engas is one of the most effective ways to bring that cost down and keep it down for the life of the Air-conditioner.

Book a free quotation today and find out how much you could save across both cooling and heating.