The simple hack to cut air-conditioning costs and reduce your energy bill

Although we’re technically only in spring, it feels like one of the hottest summers ever, with temperatures reportedly rising to nearly 35°C on some days. The urge to turn on that air-conditioning unit can be very strong but we all know what having the air condition on for a long time can do to our wallet.

Fortunately, one of our community members shared an invaluable tip to help avoid roasting in our homes. According to her, this amazing air con trick feels almost exactly the same as running it normally, but helps to cut costs significantly and keep your home feeling like a fridge all day around.

Dry mode

At the press of a button on your remote, you can toggle a setting on your air con called dry mode. It’s different to the cool mode that some of you may be familiar with; on the remote, dry mode is distinguished by a water drop symbol while cool mode is frequently marked with a snow flake symbol.

The main point of dry mode is to reduce the humidity in a room. Humidity levels directly affect temperature and on some humid days, even a comfortable 22°C can feel like 30°C — that might be why weather forecasts often predict one temperature when it feels like another!

This function is most convenient during those times of the year when it is humid — for instance, during the rainy season. Some regions of Australia also experience high levels of humidity all year around due to biome conditions, such as Queenslanders living in Brisbane, which was built on marshland.

How dry mode cuts costs

Dry mode functions similarly to a dehumidifier. When the air conditioner is in dry mode, the fan and other inner components of the device will still be running. However, the unit does not blow out any cold air. Instead, the air in the room passes through the air con and the water vapour condenses on the evaporator. Dry air will then exit the unit and flow back into the room.

So, let’s assume the thermostat is set to 25°C and that the humidity in the room is about 90%. It would probably feel stuffier and warmer in your home because of this. When the air con is switched on to dry mode, the fan will start running to suck in the air and the compressor cuts in to facilitate the condensation of the humidity. Once the room temperature has settled to 25°C, then both the fan and compressor will stop. Humidity will rise steadily again and so will the temperature but this time, when the temperature goes to 26°C, the air con starts running again and the cycle repeats itself.

The good thing about dry mode here is that it lets you maintain an energy-efficient temperature setting on your air con. As we all know, setting your air con lower than 23 or 24°C makes it use approximately 10 times more power per degree. Being able to maintain a sensible 25°C not only avoids this but saves on high energy bills in both the short and the long run.

It’s worth noting that dry mode does not really cool the room like cool mode. The cooling effect comes from the removal of excess moisture. However, you will feel the room is in fact cooler and more comfortable due to the regulated humidity. It is a really effective way of keeping the temperatures comfortable!