The unbearable summer heat isn’t showing any sign of slowing down. Like every year, the summer season sees a boost in air conditioner (AC) unit sales across the country. This year, the heat seems to have come early as there are reports of heatwaves across the country.  After getting AC units, there is the additional headache of higher electricity bills. While AC may bring relief during the simmering hot weather, it also generates hefty cost at month-end. However, there are some ways to reduce the power consumption of AC and lower the bill. Here’s how.  Effective Ways to Reduce AC Power Consumption  Use a Programmable Thermostat  Thermostats are a great way to reduce AC power consumptions. This nifty little device can intelligently sense the temperature of the room and can perform pre-programmed actions based on the said temperature.  For example, a user can program the thermostat to shut down the AC after it reaches say 20 degree C. This way, the AC unit will automatically shut down after the room temperature reaches the desired level.  Thermostats are the best and most effective way of reducing AC power consumption as it ensures that the unit doesn’t keep running idly.  Read more: Inverter AC Prices in Bangladesh in 2023 Set the Correct Temperature  As a rule of thumb, a lower temperature on the AC unit will mean higher electricity consumption, resulting in higher bills. Many people often think setting the AC at the lowest level will cool the room faster or that it’ll be more comfortable.  But study shows that the ideal room temperature for humans should be between 20 to 24 degree C. So rather than setting the temperature at the lowest level, set it somewhere around 24 degrees to get the optimum comfort. Considering the local temperature, you can set the AC temperature at 25 degree C or above in Bangladesh.   Thus, you can minimize the electricity consumption for your AC unit and reduce bills. Read more: Walton comes up with AC exchange offer Clean and Replace AC Filters  AC filters keep the air inside the room clean and pure. A dirty or problematic AC filter can reduce AC efficiency by at least 15%. The lost efficiency will ultimately drive up the bills.  It is recommended to get the AC filter checked and replaced every 6 months. The AC will stay in pristine condition as well as maintain its maximum efficiency. The cost of replacement of filters also isn’t that expensive. Most filters are available after-market for about 1000 to 1,500 BDT.  Sealing the Air Leaks  AC works best in closed-off rooms. An open room will only let the cool air out, making it impossible to cool off the room. So it’s important to properly seal any leaks or openings in the room. Check the windows and doors for any potential leaks and get them sealed if there are any.  A closed-off room will cool down much faster, meaning less active time on the AC. This will help to significantly cut down on power consumption as well as bills.  Read more: Air Conditioner Brands, Buyer Guide, Models, with Price in Bangladesh Turn on the Fan  AC air dissipates by the principle of diffusion. That is the cool lighter air moves slowly from one corner to the hot heavier air on the other. It is possible to speed up the diffusion process by using the overhead fan.  Just turn on the fan simultaneously as the AC and the room will cool down much faster than it would normally. The result is again less active time of the air conditioner and consequently reduced bills at the end of the month. 

State minister for power Nasrul Hamid on Tuesday said the power department will get Tk 1893 crore as unpaid electricity bill from various ministries and departments of the government till September this year. He also said that considering the average daily production of 2300 million cubic feet of gas, it will be possible to use the remaining gas for nearly 11 years (10.8 years). Hamid said that the power division will get maximum amount Tk 905.21 crore from local government department and Tk 395.68 crore from the ministry of disaster management. Read more: Nepal will export up to 50 MW electricity to Bangladesh for now, envoy tells PM In response to a query from ruling Awami League MP Md. Mozaffar Hossain, he said by strengthening supervision and implementing various activities at the field level, it has been possible to reduce the amount of electricity bill in arrears in the past few years. He said that the government has taken various initiatives including setting an annual target for reducing in the Annual Performance Agreement (APA), holding inter-ministerial meetings for collection of dues from different government organisations, preparing list of bill defaulters and taking steps to recover them and disconnecting electricity, if necessary, to collect the unpaid electricity bills. He also said that all the customers are being brought under prepaid/smart meter to reduce the arrears in electricity bills. In response to a query from AL MP Shahiduzzaman Sarker, the state minister said according to the latest (July 1, 2022) estimate, the amount of proven and potential recoverable gas reserves in the country is 28.59 trillion cubic feet. From the beginning of gas production to till June 30, 2022, the cumulative amount of gas in the country is 19.53 trillion cubic feet. Currently the remaining recoverable reserves are 9.06 trillion cubic feet. Considering the current average daily production of 2300 million cubic feet of gas from the gas field, it will be possible to use the remaining gas for 10.8 years (nearly 11 years). The mentioned time may be increased or decreased if daily rate gas production is decreased and if gas production is increased following invention of new gas field, he added. In response to another question, the state minister said that since Bangladesh needs to import LPG, if the price does not decrease in the international market, there is no opportunity to reduce the price of LPG in the domestic market without government subsidy. Read more: Electricity price to remain unchanged for now In response to Nizam Uddin Hazari's question, the state minister said that from the financial year 2009-10 to 2021-22, $28.3 billion have been invested in the electricity sector. Of this, $9.73 billion have been invested in the private sector for electricity. In response to Jatiya Party's Rustam Ali Farazi's question, Hamid said BPC is making a loss of Tk 21 per liter in selling diesel. In response to AL MP M. Abdul Latif’s query on countrywide ongoing load shedding, Hamid said that due to the global energy crisis following the Russia-Ukraine war, Bangladesh is trying to overcome the energy crisis through economical use of electricity and planned load shedding. He said, as per the plan, the new coal-based power plants will be connected to the grid and by ensuring the cost-effective use of electricity, it will be possible to overcome the crisis soon. BNP MP Harunur Rashid came down heavily on the government for what  he said widespread looting, corruption and mismanagement in power and energy sector. Harun proposed that the Speaker arranges a discussion on this issue in Parliament. In reply, Hamid blasted Harun for the past BNP-Jamaat government’s alleged involvement in corruption in the power sector.

Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd (DPDC) will complete its departmental investigation by Tuesday into issuing inflated electricity bills to a large number of consumers.