How a Portable Air Conditioner Saves You Money

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How a Portable Air Conditioner Saves You Money

Staff Writer · Mar 24, 2010

Portable air conditioners are a great investment for renters. The portability factor makes it a easy to  cool the rooms without the need to buy bulky window units, which you may not be allowed to install anyway. You can also buy a 3-in-1 unit: air conditioner, dehumidifier and heater. You’ll take care of your heating and cooling needs, but also you’ll have the added bonus of dehumidifying your rooms. With all these benefits, you may wondering whether a portable air conditioner saves you money.

Cheaper than the HVAC

It’s definitely cheaper to use than running your apartment’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. The centralized system works to cool down rooms you’re not using, which wastes energy and money. Even if you took steps to cover the vents in those other rooms, you’ll still be using more power to run the heat pump or other mechanism that is used to make the HVAC run. You’ll see a difference in your electric bill when you make the switch to a portable air conditioner. You target your cooling, instead of cooling rooms everywhere at once. You’ll have to roll a unit or two around during the day, and so you’ll miss out the convenience of using the HVAC. You won’t miss out on those higher electric bills though.

Cheaper than Some Window Units

Portable air conditioners that are rated as being highly efficient can save you money compared to using some window air conditioners.  Older window units are often up for sale at garage, moving and yard sales or posted on Craigslist.com. It can be tempting to pass up a $25 or $50 window air conditioner unit that costs triple or higher in stores. However, you end up paying in the long run on your bills, because that “cheap” unit is a drain on your power use. If you have the option to install a window air conditioner and you’re debating between that and a portable air conditioner, consider the latter for saving money on electricity. It may cost more initially, but you’ll make up the difference and more in energy reduction.

Use of Timer

There are additional steps you can take to save money with your portable air conditioner. For example, use a timer that you can purchase in any hardware store or online to set when your conditioner will turn on and off. Don’t use the timer all day long, because you may not need to use the air conditioner when it’s set to come on. You can use the timer if you want to cool the room down when you won’t be at the apartment, like to cool pets or electrical equipment on extremely hot days.

The opportunity to save money on your bills by switching to portable air conditioners is one of the many reasons why you need to own one. You’ll get to benefit from the savings no matter what apartment you move to next, because it’s easy to transport yourself or include in a load if you hire a professional moving service company.

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