Lowering Your Home's Humidity Can Drastically Lower Your Air Conditioning Cost

The muggy summer heat can make air conditioning a very welcome treat but you could get burned once you see your next electric bill. Living comfortably inside an air conditioned house has its own downside

- an increased monthly electrical consumption. You can decrease your air conditioner's work load - as well as your monthly power bill - by lowering the humidity level in your home which your air conditioner would otherwise do. The air conditioner's two-way cooling process An air conditioning unit delivers comfortably cool air in your home through two processes:

- By lowering the air temperature - By taking out humidity from the air inside your home. Cold air cannot tolerate high humidity levels, unlike warm air. Humidity of 30 to 50% level in the air makes it feel more refreshing. During the hot summer months, the air inside your house can carry humidity level of 80% or higher.

- Always keep your doors and windows shut, especially on sweltering hot weather. Keep going in and out of the room at a minimum because humidity comes every time a door is opened. - Install exhaust fans in "moist" areas of your house like the bathroom, laundry room and kitchen. They will blow humid air outside your home and thus free the air conditioner from doing the job.

- Go outside and check if any water from outdoor is making its way in through your walls. Also ensure that drainpipes and downspouts are directing water away from your house.

- Cook according to the weather you're having. On hot days, don't raise the temperature inside your house further by boiling water in the kitchen.

- Take your houseplants out during the summer to decrease the humidity in your home.

Ultra-thin window mounted ventilation fan