Does Running Your Air Conditioning Unit in Winter Cost More?

Does Running Your Air Conditioning Unit in Winter Cost More?

Every individual has their preferred temperature settings on the thermostat. Some favour a cosy environment, while others opt for a cooler indoor atmosphere. However, have you ever wondered if your favoured temperature setting is resulting in higher expenses during winter?

At PSB Air Conditioning aim to help you navigate the operation of your air conditioners during the winter months. Instead of directing you to multiple websites featuring a plethora of home temperature studies, we have gathered all the crucial information right here.

We’ll scrutinise the impact of different heating methods on your electricity bill, and help you identify the most economical option for warming your home. We’ll also delve into the optimal temperature for your air conditioner in winter and explore how the size of ducted systems impacts your home’s heating expenses.

Average Cost of Heating a Home

In Australia, much of the engineering effort is concentrated on combating the heat rather than winter-proofing homes. Consequently, a significant amount of warm air is lost, despite thorough insulation. Regrettably, heating costs often exceed cooling costs.

During winter, Australians employ various methods to warm their homes. While some utilise wood, gas, or electric heaters, the home’s HVAC systems and AC units remain the most popular and trusted heating options.

Our discussion won’t cover wood heating, as those costs hinge on the wood’s availability in your locality. Instead, we’ll focus on the expenses associated with gas, electric, and HVAC systems.

To provide an accurate price comparison, we’ve based the following figures on a Melbourne home built prior to 2005, heated during typical hours on both weekdays and weekends. We’ll solely address the cost of heating individual rooms rather than an entire house for a more precise understanding of home heating.

Average Costs for Gas Heaters

In certain locations, using gas for home heating is considerably cheaper than AC units or electric heaters. However, this isn’t the case in Australia. To heat a small room with a gas heater costs approximately $170 annually, while medium-sized rooms tend to cost around $395 a year to heat.

To heat large rooms during winter, you’d spend around $730 annually. Despite these figures seeming steep, they aren’t the costliest.

Average Costs for Electric Heaters

Regrettably, portable electric heaters lack efficiency. Heating a small room costs approximately $385 annually, while medium-sized rooms cost around $925. Heating larger rooms is exorbitantly expensive, with costs reaching a staggering $1,890 annually.

According to Fire and Rescue NSW, home fires increase by 10% during winter due to space heaters and electric blankets. We recommend avoiding electric heaters and opting for either gas or air conditioners during winter air conditioning.

Average Costs for HVAC Systems

Of all the heating methods mentioned, air conditioners have the lowest heating costs. They also boast the advantage of being able to both heat and cool homes. With proper maintenance and care, an air conditioner can deliver enduring comfort at significantly reduced prices.

Air conditioners are optimal for cost, efficiency, temperature control, and space. It costs approximately $140 annually to heat small rooms, $310 yearly for medium-sized rooms, and only about $640 annually to heat even large spaces like living rooms.

What’s the Ideal Winter Temperature for My Home?

The ideal winter temperature can vary depending on the time of day and who is in the home.

A comfortable night-time indoor temperature is often somewhere between 15.6°C and 19.4°C, especially when people are sleeping with warm bedding. During the day, the ideal setting may be closer to 24°C, depending on outside conditions, sunlight, and personal comfort. The current article gives these same day and night ranges, but the core point is that the best setting depends on both comfort and cost.

If you want more detail on this, our guide on what temperature to set your air conditioner in winter can help explain how to balance comfort and efficiency.

Naturally, personal preference still plays a part, and so does your willingness to save on energy bills. In many homes, a moderate setting will usually be more economical than turning the system up too high.

The Importance of Size

The size of your air conditioner has a major influence on how well it performs in winter.

If the system is too small for the space, even extreme thermostat settings may not make much difference because the unit simply will not be able to heat the area effectively. On the other hand, a properly sized system can give you more flexibility and better overall performance.

This is one reason why choosing the right setup matters so much. If your current system is struggling to heat the home properly, it may be worth reviewing your options for domestic air conditioning installation or a more suitable replacement system.

Warm Your Home in Winter with PSB Air

Your preferred setting may not always be the most efficient one, but the right system can still make a big difference to comfort and winter running costs.

At PSB Air, we help homeowners choose and maintain air conditioning systems that are designed to perform reliably through both summer and winter. If you are trying to lower your heating costs, improve efficiency, or work out whether your current unit is still the right fit, our team can help.

Browse our blog for more practical advice on winter performance, including split system vs ducted running costs, or get in touch to find out which system may suit your home best.