Air conditioners in our homes are one of the biggest power guzzlers among household appliances. According to the US energy department’s data, domestic air conditioners use about 6% of all the electricity produced in the US, costing about $29 billion to homeowners annually. In warmer regions, ACs can constitute 60-70% of summer electricity bills. When mercury levels rise, doing your part to reduce electricity use can make a big difference. The good news is: you don’t necessarily have to turn off the AC to save electricity. All you have to do is get ConEd’s Smart AC Program and turn your ordinary AC into a smart AC that consumes less power without compromising your comfort.
What is ConEd’s Smart AC program?
When you enroll for ConEd’s Smart AC program you get a smart AC kit that connects your AC to wi-fi to save electricity. Simply put, it converts an ordinary AC into smart AC. A smart AC can be controlled remotely via an app to keep track of your daily energy usage.
Since it can be controlled remotely, you can turn on the AC anytime you’d like to come home to a cozy apartment! So, there’s no need to unnecessarily leave the AC on when you are away from your home. With smart apps, you can do it anytime, from anywhere! The best part is – it’s free, and you can earn rewards for using it too.
What are the Benefits?
Climate change concerns and rising electricity prices are causing us to look closely at our electricity usage and at ways of cutting back on unnecessary power usage. ConEd’s Smart AC program offers a simple yet effective solution to monitor your power usage and control electricity bills. The benefits don’t end here:
- Reduces your carbon footprint of air conditioning: Global temperature has drastically increased over the past few years. Studies strongly suggest that the increase is due to increased volumes of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Air conditioning systems alone contribute greatly to carbon emissions. By getting a smart AC kit, you don’t just reduce your electricity bills but also reduce carbon emission.
- Reduced power usage: The smart AC kit turns your AC on and off periodically and sometimes changes your AC to a slightly higher thermostat to reduce your AC power consumption. This allows ConEd to better predict energy consumption, and avoid turning on “peaker plants” which is an expensive and energy-intensive option for managing high peak loads on the hottest summer days.
- Earn cool points or reward points: The Smart AC program offers users Cool Points or reward points that can be redeemed later for gift cards at stores and can be used for entries into competitions. The amount of cool points depends on how you participate in the program and the actions you complete.
- Control your AC remotely: There are times when you leave your home in a hurry only to realize later that you left the AC on. With ConEd smart kit, you enjoy complete peace of mind as it gives you the flexibility to operate your AC remotely.
Additional Air Conditioning Tips to Save Energy
Apart from turning your AC into a smart AC, there are some additional tips you can use to reduce your electricity bills:
- Keep your windows closed during the day and open them up in the morning and at night.
- Leave your blinds closed when you’re not home to reduce the intensity of sunlight into your home on hot days.
- Keep the temperature difference between outside and inside minimal.
- Always buy an energy efficient air conditioner.
Saving money on your energy bill on hot summer days can be tough when you’re running your air conditioner for hours on end. But with a few measures and ConEd’s Smart AC Program, you can boost your AC’s cooling efficiency and save on electricity bills as well.
