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Step 1
Buy an energy efficient room air conditioner that you can set to turn itself on and off automatically. With a built-in thermostat, it can detect the room's ambient temperature and prevent overuse.
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Step 2
Buy an energy efficient room air conditioner that is the right size for the room in question. Depending on the volume of your room you may actually be able to get away with a smaller, more efficient air conditioner than a larger, more energy consuming one.
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Step 3
Buy a portable air conditioner. This is a great investment for two reasons. First, you don't need to worry about losing cold air through the window in which a traditional window-mounted air conditioner would be mounted. Second, a portable air conditioner can be moved from room to room as needed, eliminating the need for a far more expensive central air conditioner.
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Step 4
Choose an air conditioner that is easier to maintain. Air conditioners that are easier to maintain can help prevent a reduction in performance.
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Step 5
Choose an air conditioner with a SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) better than either 13 or 14. The higher the number the better, and the more efficient the unit is at cooling the air in the least amount of time (thereby drawing the least amount of power during operation).
