The Cost Of Using Air Con In Your Vehicle
Does air con use a lot of fuel?
It’s widely speculated that using air conditioning in the car costs up to 10% in extra fuel consumption. Yet it’s not actually as black and white as it seems.
While air conditioning IS powered by the engine and therefore anything which takes power from that increases fuel consumption, how, where and when you use it are also big factors.
The do’s and don’ts of using your car’s air con
- Don’t turn the vents towards you, it disrupts an even flow of air throughout the interior.
- Do point the vents upwards for maximum effect and keep every passenger equally cool.
- Don’t turn your air-con up to the max when you first get into the car – it simply recirculates the hot air while the air con tries to cool it.
- Do lower your windows when you first get in to let some of the heat escape.
- Don’t put off using the air con to the point that your car feels like a sauna as it’s bad for your reaction times. Keep cool, stay alert.
- Do Keep the air recirculation on. Air con can cause the windows to fog up but selecting the `Auto’ option lets it regulate itself, stopping this while keeping you cool.
How should you use your air-con?
If you turn the air con on full whack as soon as you get in the car on a really hot day to drive short distances, the engine will be working flat out and will never really be able to run efficiently.
We advise that when you get in the car, open the window a little to let some of the heat out and then switch your air-con on; it won’t then have to work so hard to get down to your ideal temperature, which is a much more fuel-efficient method.
It’s tempting to shut the windows and switch on the air con when you hit 40/50 mph because of the noise and the air turbulence drag that the car has to pull through, which does cause extra fuel consumption. However, tests show that doing this is still cheaper than having your windows up and the air con on full blast. Once you go over 50mph, then it’s time to wind up and switch on.
While in this heat it is hard to avoid an increase in fuel consumption through open windows and air-con usage, there are other ways to drive smarter to help balance it out (see our other blog on tips for driving more efficiently)
The most important reason for using your air con
Regardless of cost, there’s another very good reason why you should use your air-con, especially in extreme heat.
Driving in extreme heat can reduce a driver’s reaction time by as much as 20% – a fifth slower. Cars can become like ovens when parked in the sun which can put drivers at serious risk of overheating and dehydration, thus making it much more dangerous when driving.
If you need to check the performance of your vehicle’s air conditioning system, please do arrange to bring it in and we will check it is working to its full potential.