Air conditioning takes indoor heat and pushes it outdoors. To do this, it uses energy, which increases production of greenhouse gases, which warm the atmosphere. From a cooling standpoint, the first transaction is a wash, and the second is a loss. We’re cooking our planet to refrigerate the diminishing part that’s still habitable.

The United States now uses more electricity for air conditioning than a billion people in Africa use for everything. So really, we have to do everything we can to reduce the amount of air conditioning required, make it as efficient as it can be, and then reduce the non-renewable resources needed to run it.

Air Conditioner Tips

1. Pre-Program Before You’re Home. If you’re lucky enough to have an AC with a programmable timer, use it! Don’t arrive home and whack the poor machine on full blast. Instead, let it switch itself on 30 minutes before your home, and slowly cool down your whole space. Air conditioners work best when continuously for long periods, rather than trying to blast-cool a whole room.
2. Set Your Thermostat High. This sounds counter-intuitive, I know. What I mean is, try to find the highest temperature that will still let you feel cool. For every temperature degree you need to drop, your air conditioner works harder and harder. For example, if you want to cool the room down by 10 degrees, the ac has to work more than double as hard than dropping it by 5 degrees. Also, ACs are intended to only drop the temperature by about 15-25 degrees Fahrenheit (about 8-12C). Keep this in mind in summer – as demanding more than this is where you really start to overwork an AC.
3. Throw Some Shade. Keep the air conditioner out of the sun! This is like putting in an oven and asking it to cool the house. It will work double as hard. If it’s a window a/c – bear in mind what windows is going to be getting the most sunlight.
4. Keep It Free. For the AC to work properly, make sure it’s got plenty of free space around it. If it’s a window ac stuck behind your drapes, or a portable ac stuck behind a couch, it may just cool down that tiny area and think the job is done! Make sure it’s in touch with the wider air of the whole space you want to cool.
5. Make Sure All Air Pipes Are Clear. If you’re questioning the AC’s efficiency, it’s always worth a double check to make sure all the intake and outtake pipes are free of blockages. It’s also worth making sure that the air intake isn’t above another vent that could have hot air coming out of it and going into the air conditioner!
6. Change Your Filters. This is pretty standard, but it’s always worth a reminder to change your filters around once a month when you’re using an air conditioner frequently. You don’t end up with a buildup of air conditioner mold!  
7. While You’re At It. Also make sure the coils of the air conditioner are clean. Any dirt will insulate the coils, making it harder for the appliance to cool down the air. All it takes is a quick scrub down and it’ll be like giving your air conditioner a breath of fresh air. These are just on the back of any standard air conditioner. This also applies to the compressor unit if you have a full home system.
8. Keep It On Low. Air conditioners work best when on for a longer period of time. If you’re just heading out for 30 minutes – an hour, just leave it maintining a temperature on low power. This should actually save you energy opposed to letting the room heat up and needing to cool it down again.