- If you're in a hurry, a portable unit is around $300-$500
- A whole house can cost upwards of $5,000, even up to $30,000
- Keep your air conditioners clean and maintain them to prevent problems
The southern summer silly season means Santa’s scarlet sleigh will see more sand than snow when silently sliding gifts on the underside of sustainability-sourced Christmas features.
Christmas falls in summer for us in the Southern Hemisphere, with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting a beautiful and balmy 30 degrees celsius across Australia.
The BoM forecast will see:
- Perth have a sunny day with a min of 18, and max of 31,
- Adelaide also sunny with a min of 15 and max of 32,
- Darwin with a shower or two, possible storm, min 25 and max 32,
- Melbourne mostly sunny, with a min of 13 and max of 29,
- Canberra cloud clearing with a min of 12 and max of 31,
- Sydney with a partly cloudy day, min 19, and max 27, and finally
- Brisbane with a possible shower, min 19 and max 30.
It won’t be the over 40 degrees scorchers from years gone by, but in order to cool down on Christmas day, you may be thinking about air conditioners and how to power them.
How much does Air Conditioning cost in 2022
It comes as no surprise that price varies, everything from a few hundred dollars for a portable air conditioner through to $30,000 systems.
The Property Tribune found small, split systems can be as economical as $600 to $750, with ducted airconditioning starting at $6,000; our full report here.
If you’re looking for portable cooling, you go as simple as a $30 fan, but of course, if you’re considering portable refrigerative air conditioners and portable evaporative air conditioners which will do the job much better, prices should start at around $300 to $500.
Going old-school and fitting a wall-mounted refrigerative air conditioner will see you save, with similar cooling power for a similar price to portable units. Prices also start at $300, and go up to around $1,200.
Whether portable or wall and window mounted air conditioning units, each has its own pros and cons. Portable units have an exhaust, so don’t forget that you’ll have a pipe cluttering the house, unless it’s neatly hidden next to a window.
How Much Does it Cost to Install a Split System Air Conditioner?
Our report found that split systems tend to be the more economical choice, compared to ducted cooling, and can be more energy efficient and quieter than ducted counterparts.
Split system air conditioning typically costs within the realm of $600 to $5,500, with the key take away: know the kilowatt capacity of your unit: it influences the ongoing cost of the unit.
How Much Does it Cost to Install a Ducted Air Conditioning System?
Ducted is great for cooling entire homes, but of course cost more. Australian households tend to spend between $5,000 to $10,000 for ducted air conditioning.
For small apartments or houses, expect to pay between $6,000 to $10,000.
For an average one-storey house, expect to pay $11,000 to $14,000.
For large multi-storey homes, expect to pay $15,000 to $30,000.
Where to find air conditioners?
The Property Tribune has some of Australia’s top air conditioning installers listed here.
How to save money on running an air conditioner?
On average, a typical reverse cycle aircon will cost approximately 25 to 35 cents per hour. This obviously fluctuates depending on the size of the room. A mid-sized room can cost about 35 to 70 cents per hour, while this increases to 70 to 95 cents per hour for larger rooms.
There are several key things you can do to keep costs down.
Close doors to adjoining rooms is one. This makes it less space to cool with less hot air entering the room. Same applies to keeping curtains and blinds drawn to avoid the heat of the sun. Also, do not set the thermostat to a temperature too cold.
Installing solar panels will also drastically reduce energy bills – after all, air conditioners are used during the hottest daylight hours, which tend to be the sunnier parts of the day.
You can find the top solar panel installers in Sydney here, and top solar panel installers in Melbourne here.
Top Christmas tips for keeping cool
It is important to maintain your air conditioner.
On a monthly basis, it is generally encouraged that you clean the indoor unit filters. They can quickly clog up with dust and grime. The easiest and most effective way to remove the build-up dust is by running a vacuum over the filters.
It is also generally recommended to have a licenced professional review your unit at the beginning of each summer. This annual check will keep your air conditioner operating smoothly, and not at a subpar level.
