Don't forget your air conditioner's outdoor unit for energy efficiency!

With electricity prices continuing to put pressure on many household budgets, I think a lot of us are looking for ways to keep cool without watching the power bill climb. There's one part of your air conditioner's efficiency that you might be overlooking which can save you money, and that's the outdoor unit.

According to a recent Panasonic survey, just 5% of people knew that the outdoor unit accounts for around 80 to 90% of an air conditioner's power consumption, and 72% said they weren't doing enough to save energy around it.

One simple step is to keep the area around the unit clear. Things like dust, fallen leaves, and other debris can interfere with heat exchange, and objects blocking airflow can make the air conditioner work harder. Panasonic recommends leaving at least 20cm of space in front of the unit, and ideally keeping the surrounding area even clearer.

Shade can also help. Direct sunlight heats the outdoor unit and can reduce cooling efficiency, so creating shade with something like a bamboo screen can help, provided it doesn't block airflow!

There is one important catch, though, and that's not to just cover the unit with whatever you have lying around. Homemade covers, wet towels and overly fine insect screens can actually restrict airflow or drainage and potentially increase energy use or cause problems.