How Much Money Does Being Green Save You?

As the heat radar on the national weather channel rises, so does the interest in scrambling for ways to keep cool.  While central air conditioners are what people flock to, they once start scrambling for cheaper more inexpensive ways to stay cool once the monthly utility rolls around.

Central air is expensive though since it cools the whole house. If you don't already have a system, or you're looking for a way to cut down on the energy bills associated with cooling your home, a portable air conditioner may be able to save you money. These small units are just meant to cool one room, but often that's all you need. Place one in your bedroom at night or perhaps your home office during the day. Since portable air conditioners are not cooling the whole house, they don't need to work as hard, which means they use less energy and cost you less money every month.

The Industry Buzz

The cheaper and greener option for cooling is a portable air conditioner.  While portable air conditioners have been industry leaders for quite some time, consumers only recent turned their heads to see what industry experts were buzzing about. 

Portable air conditioners have become increasingly popular over the last 10 years - and for good reason too.  These units do need to be placed in a room with a window, as they come with hoses to vent air to the outside, but they're pretty easy to pack up and move from room to room. At the end of the summer, it's easy to tuck a portable air conditioner into a closet or the attic (no permanent box sticking out of the wall of your home).

Do the Math

While most people spend their time in only 1 or 2 rooms of a home, the costs associated with cooling the entire house can be prohibitive. Portable air conditioners come in different energy capacities. A 7,500 BTU portable air conditioner can comfortably cool a room up to 200 sq ft. while a  13,000 BTU  air conditioner will cool over 400 sq. ft.

In addition to cooling your room down to 61 degrees, portable air conditioners also dehumidify the air at the same time.  Some units are capable or removing up to 65 pints (8 gallons) of water per day from the air. You may be able to use your portable air conditioner during the winter, if you purchase one that has a built in heater.

Single Room Cooling

It makes little sense to cool an entire home with central air when you can cool 1 or 2 rooms with a portable room air conditioner or room air cooler.  With the doors shut and airflow restricted, portable ACs can save money in the short and long run.  Using less energy to cool a room translates into dollar savings and is much better for the environment - hence killing the metaphoric two birds with one stone.

Most portable air conditioners, like those manufactured by NewAir, also have wheels which  allow them to be transported from one room to the other.  Mobile air conditioners are great for  home offices or for senior citizens who are on a tight budget.

Entire House Cooling

While it's useless to cool an entire house with one portable air conditioner, it does make sense to invest in a couple portable air conditioning units and place them in the parts of the house that are most used or trafficked.

Find out what size air portable air conditioner you need

Money-Saving Features

Portable air conditioners can save you a lot of money when they're set on a timer.  Setting the timer at intervals of 10 or 15 minutes, especially at night, is a key money and energy saving habit.  This is also a good practice to use for central air conditioners, though portable ac's will still be far more cost-effective. 

Pairing Your Portable AC with Your Central AC

Even if you already have a central AC, investing in a portable unit for days when you want only one room cooled or spot cooling, is a great idea.  This way, balancing between the expensive to run unit and the cents to run unit, you can effectively reduce your monthly electricity bill.

Following these green energy saving habits can save you high hundreds to thousands of dollars in the course of just one year alone!

Save Money By Putting Your AC in the Right Spot