Who on earth would not want a relaxing time in an air conditioned room during these harsh summers in Qatar. Every year we witness the rise in mercury for a definite period of time and every year we know a common way of getting rid of it - spending the maximum possible time in the air conditioned spaces. It is a good way of escaping the heat as long as we don't have to pay the bills by ourselves. That might sound a little funny but that's the truth.

We often think twice before using the air conditioners for longer durations reason being simple - the fear of high electricity bills. Longer usage of the air conditioners is directly proportional to the increased bills. A simple question arises here which is what should a person be doing if not this? Well, that's a genuine question and deserves a satisfactory and workable answer cum solution as well. 

In this blog, I'll be discussing a few easy and doable hacks that can save you a lot of money and make your summers happy and happening in Qatar.

Energy-efficient air conditioner: The first and foremost thing you can do to cut your monthly electricity costs is to do a little research before getting an air conditioner in Qatar. Always buy an air conditioner that has the highest BEE rating. This may surely be a little costlier than a normal air conditioner but trust me this will be a one-time investment and you'll reap the benefits lifelong. You pay a little more just once and get assured benefits forever. Always choose an AC with at least a four-star rating if you can't afford a five star one.

Appropriate temperature: The only thing we use an air conditioner for is to stay cool and comfortable usually during summers. When I say comfortable I don't mean to freeze ourselves. We must understand the fact that setting an appropriate temperature is very important for better comfort and decreased electricity bills. Studies suggest that setting the temperature between 22 to 24 is the most appropriate. Also, know that every additional degree of lowered temperature can increase your electricity bill by 8%. This should be enough for you to understand the importance of setting the standard temperature in your AC units.

Maintain your ACs well: Yes, you read it right. Maintaining your air conditioner well can actually save your electricity cost. Thinking about how to do that? Well, that's no rocket science. You just need to check if the air filters and the outdoor unit are properly cleaned and functional. This makes the operation smooth and efficient. Also, keep a note of the services by the technicians. Get your units serviced after regular intervals for an efficient experience.

Additional cooling appliances: You can go for this hack when the temperature isn't very high. All you need to do is to switch off the air conditioner and use a ceiling or table fan instead. These appliances consume very less electricity as compared to the AC. Note that you can do this only if the temperature is bearable and not during very hot days.

Don't let the outside heat enter your house: There are two things that disturb the efficiency of your air conditioner. First, when you let the cool air escape the space and second when you let the outdoor hot air enter the room. This affects the cooling mechanism and consistency of the unit. How should one stop it? It is the easiest hack so far. You just need to draw the curtains and blinds and also check if the windows and doors are properly closed. This will help the air conditioner to work smoothly without having to take a lot of loads.

Closing off the vacant spaces: If you have the AC installed in the hall and the rooms are vacant, shut the doors of the unused rooms/spaces, so that it doesn't have to use a lot of energy to cool the whole area. When the cooling area decreases, it will automatically need less time and hence lesser energy to cool the whole space.

Regular ventilation: You can always choose to refresh your room temperature by allowing some fresh air during the nights or early mornings. Doing this practice for just 10 minutes should be enough to serve the purpose. Also, allow less sunlight to enter your room during the daytime. This will also help in keeping the room temperature low and hence saving on your bills.

These were some of the hacks that one can go for to cut on the electricity cost. There's no shame in being smart. If being smart can save us money there's nothing like that. The technology is improving day by day and we are getting many energy efficient devices and also inverter enabled appliances like Inverter ACs, etc. We must keep an eye on the market and keep ourselves updated in order to know where the world has reached and what can be the best choice for us.