Green air conditioning: how eco-friendly are air con units?

Air conditioning is becoming increasingly in demand in UK homes due to the rising temperatures, humidity and air pollution. Aside from the odd heatwave that leaves us all frantically Googling ‘air con’, they are also hugely beneficial for improving air quality around the home. 

Although air conditioning keeps us cool, like many household appliances, it can contribute to the environmental problem if it’s not used in the right way or maintained. 

BOXT are passionate about only providing green air conditioning units that have a high-efficiency rating (A++, to be exact) and use environmentally friendly refrigerants, so you can rest easy in your cool home knowing you’re doing your bit.

 

Is air conditioning harmful to the environment?

Simply put, yes, air conditioning can have a significant impact on the global warming problem, though this can be highly reduced if you use your unit in the right way and ensure you make the effort to maintain it for optimum functionality. Where things can go wrong is if your unit is using significant amounts of energy (more than required) or if the refrigerant gases used are leaked or disposed of incorrectly. 

Despite this, there are increasing eco-friendly and green air conditioning options available for those who want to keep their home cool, without this increasing their carbon footprint. There are energy efficiency regulations and ratings in place which govern how efficient air conditioning units being manufactured must be. 

Using your air conditioning in a ‘green’ way

There are several ways to utilise your air conditioner and minimise your environmental impact.

Get the right size and quantity of air con units for your home

An air con unit too small or not powerful enough for a room will use more energy to do the same job. Units have to be the right size to balance the hot air drawn in from the room with the cooled air that’s pumped out. It might be more affordable to opt for a smaller unit, but long term, it will cost you a lot more in energy bills and your carbon footprint will increase. 

Ensure regular maintenance of your unit 

Like with your boiler, there are certain maintenance tasks to keep on top of with your air conditioning. Some of this is doable yourself, such as changing and cleaning the filters, however, it’s important to get your air conditioning unit serviced by a professional at least once a year to check over and your unit’s internal parts. By sticking to regular maintenance and keeping your aircon in check, you can keep your air conditioner running at optimum efficiency, cutting down on bills and minimising your energy usage long term. It’s a win-win for the environment and your wallet. 

Programmable thermostats

Most modern air conditioning units are controlled via remote control or a handy app on your phone, so you can easily stay in complete control of your home’s climate. To go one step further for efficiency, you can install programmable thermostats to make sure your unit’s not accidentally left on and using energy when it doesn’t need to be. Like with your boiler, you can program your air-con thermostat to come on at certain times of the day when people will be indoors and to turn off when there’s no one there to feel the benefit. 

Replace old and inefficient air con units

If you’ve had an air conditioning unit installed for a long time (e.g. over seven years), it is likely that it’s no longer running at peak efficiency and will need to be upgraded. When replacing your air-con, you should always opt for a highly rated unit for efficiency to avoid racking up costs in energy bills and increasing your carbon footprint. 

BOXT only offer units with an A++ ErP rating, you can find the right one for your home using our handy ‘find AC’ tool and answering a few easy questions. 

Opt for ductless, split system air con units

Split system units are installed per room where they’re required, so you can regulate the temperatures and climate of each individual room in your home (depending on how many you get installed). This way, you have greater and more accurate control over which rooms are being cooled or heated and don’t end up using far more energy than is really necessary to maintain a comfortable living environment and you aren’t spending money cooling down rooms that no one spends time in!

Interested in installing green air conditioning in your home?

BOXT’s entire ever-growing range of air conditioning units are ‘green’ in terms of their energy efficiency ratings, with every unit rated A++. We don’t believe in promoting home cooling or heating appliances that don’t do their bit for the environment. 

If you’re thinking about getting air-con to avoid any sticky situations during the odd UK heatwave or simply to improve the air quality around your home for your family, you can use our ‘find AC’ tool or speak to a member of the team via Live Chat.