How much does it cost to run an air conditioning unit and leave it on overnight?
As the weather heats up, you may be tempted to turn your air conditioning unit on overnight to keep cool as you sleep.
But if you are thinking about turning your cooling device on, you should be aware of how it can impact your energy bills.
How much you will pay will vary depending on whether you are using a built-in or portable unit.
Over 1.7 million Brits have built-in units with power ratings up to 2.7kW, according to research by Uswitch.
If you turned on your built-in air con unit for nine hours overnight, it would cost £6.64 a day or £46.49 a week.
This would add around £201.32 to your bill if you did this every night for a month.
Meanwhile, portable air conditioning units use 1kW of power.
If you left this running for nine hours over night it would cost you £2.46 a day.
This would work out a £17.22 a week or £74.46 a month if you ran the device for nine hours for every night for a month.
If you want to keep cool for less using a desk fan might work out cheaper.
A desk fan uses 35W of power and costs 60p to run if you left it on for nine hours over night for a week.
That works out as £18.26 per month.
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Natalie Mathie, energy expert at Uswitch.com, said it easy to build up a "hefty bill, especially during a heatwave".
She said: "There are other simple tricks you can use to keep the temperature down inside your home.
'Keeping your curtains closed during the day will stop sunlight from warming up your property, while filling a hot water bottle with cold water can help keep you cool.'
CHEAP HACKS TO STAY COOL THIS SUMMER
There are plenty of other hacks to stay cool this summer without spending a fortune on air conditioning.
Using tin foil to shield your home from the sun's rays can help to keep your home cool without having to turn on a fan or air conditioning.
To try this method out all you need to do is cover your windows with the shiny cupboard staple.
Be especially sure to cover the windows that are hit with direct sunlight.
The Sun previously spoke to window and glass expert Allan Reid from Checkatrade who gave this tip on how to get the best results from this hack
"For best results, place the foil on the outside of the window, not the inside," Allan said.
You can do this by dampening the shiny side of the foil and sticking it to your windows.
Another way to try this method is by cutting out pieces of cardboard that will fit the size of your window and then cover them with a reflective tin foil layer.
Another clever hack is to put your bed sheets in the freezer for a few minutes to provide instant relief and lower your body temperature.
The idea behind this method is to simply put your bed sheets into an airtight freezer bag- to avoid them getting soaked- and leave them in your freezer for a couple of minutes.
4 ways to keep your energy bills low
Laura Court-Jones, Small Business Editor at Bionic shared her tips.
1. Turn your heating down by one degree
You probably won't even notice this tiny temperature difference, but what you will notice is a saving on your energy bills as a result. Just taking your thermostat down a notch is a quick way to start saving fast. This one small action only takes seconds to carry out and could potentially slash your heating bills by £171.70.
2. Switch appliances and lights off
It sounds simple, but fully turning off appliances and lights that are not in use can reduce your energy bills, especially in winter. Turning off lights and appliances when they are not in use, can save you up to £20 a year on your energy bills
3. Install a smart meter
Smart meters are a great way to keep control over your energy use, largely because they allow you to see where and when your gas and electricity is being used.
4. Consider switching energy supplier
No matter how happy you are with your current energy supplier, they may not be providing you with the best deals, especially if you've let a fixed-rate contract expire without arranging a new one. If you haven't browsed any alternative tariffs lately, then you may not be aware that there are better options out there.
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