R0NMMR Someone changing the settings of a domestic AC or Air Conditioning unit with a remote control - focus on the remote. Alamy
R0NMMR Someone changing the settings of a domestic AC or Air Conditioning unit with a remote control - focus on the remote. Alamy
R0NMMR Someone changing the settings of a domestic AC or Air Conditioning unit with a remote control - focus on the remote. Alamy
R0NMMR Someone changing the settings of a domestic AC or Air Conditioning unit with a remote control - focus on the remote. Alamy

How can I save money when running my AC all day at home?


Farah Andrews
  • English
  • Arabic

As we move into the warmer months, with more people working from home than ever before, an efficient air conditioning system is essential. However, it is not always clear if running your home's AC 24/7 is the most cost and energy-efficient way to use the cooling system. So what should we do?

Dubai maintenance company We Will Fix It advises that, in the long run, it is better to keep your AC running in summer months.

Not cleaning your AC air filter is like not cleaning or changing your face mask

"During the cooler months, only turning your AC on only when needed makes sense. However, during the summer months, turning your AC off when you leave the house could raise humidity levels and make it more difficult to reduce the heat again when you are back," the company writes on its AC FAQ page.

"Smart thermostats that include climate control will help to automatically manage the system to ensure the AC is not wasting unnecessary energy, but the humidity is still controlled," the company adds. "During the hotter months, instead of turning your system completely off when you leave the house, increase the thermostat to around 25 to 26°C instead. This will help to control the humidity levels whilst also ensuring that you are not running up your energy bill."

It is not, however, necessary to have the AC running in every room. Candoo Home Services's Arif Wibowo suggests customers to run units in the centre of their home to keep the temperature regular.

More people than ever are working from home, amid the coronavirus pandemic. Getty Images
More people than ever are working from home, amid the coronavirus pandemic. Getty Images

"It is not necessary to have all of your AC units running at the same time to maintain an ambient temperature in your home," Wibowo tells The National. "Work out which of your AC units is most centrally located in your home and keep the internal doors open ... This should then maintain a constant temperature and save you money in the process."

The most cost-efficient temperature 

While 25 to 26°C is an ideal temperature to keep your AC set to while you're out, when in the house it is recommended that people set their thermostats to 23°C.

"Most AC units have an automatic actuator valve, which cuts the circulation off the chilled water once the set temperature has been reached (in auto mode)," Wibowo says. "Any cooler than [23°C] will likely cause the valve to remain constantly open, significantly increasing the use of the chilled water, which will cost you more money."

Keep your filters clean 

The most important advice, as we spend more time at home than ever before, is to make sure that your AC filters are clean and well maintained.

"Not cleaning your AC air filter is like not cleaning or changing your face mask," Wibowo says. "We recommend that AC units are serviced every four months."

"If you live in an apartment building, then your AC will likely be linked to the main chilled water system, [so] the main priority is to clean the filters and unclogging the drain lines," he says. "If you live in a villa or older property and have a split AC units, then in addition to cleaning the filters, the gas (compressor) will need to be checked and likely topped up (much like the AC in your car)."

Results

Stage three:

1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-43

2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s

3. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s

4. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s

5. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s

6. Mikkel Bjerg (DEN) UAE-Team Emirates, at 24s

General Classification:

1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-13-02

2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s

3. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin Fenix, at 12s

4. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s

5. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s

6. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s

The candidates

Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

Ali Azeem, business leader

Tony Booth, professor of education

Lord Browne, former BP chief executive

Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist

Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist

Dr Mark Mann, scientist

Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner

Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

 

Ain Dubai in numbers

126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure

1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch

16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.

9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.

5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place

192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.

Oppenheimer
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What are the main cyber security threats?

Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EQureos%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E33%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESoftware%20and%20technology%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%243%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

Results

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Rawat Al Reef, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)

5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Noof KB, Richard Mullen, Ernst Oertel

6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Seven Skies, Bernardo Pinheiro, Qaiss Aboud

6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Jabalini, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami

7pm: UAE Arabian Derby – Prestige (PA) Dh150,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Dergham Athbah, Richard Mullen, Mohamed Daggash

7.30pm: Emirates Championship – Group 1 (PA) Dh1,000,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Somoud, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle

8pm: Abu Dhabi Championship – Group 3 (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Irish Freedom, Antonio Fresu, Satish Seemar

Teachers' pay - what you need to know

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues

Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)

Nancy Ajram

(In2Musica)

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets