Australians could potentially see energy bills soar over the next few months, as the weather cools and the bulk of the workforce continues to work remotely.
For air conditioning installers, this is an opportunity to help educate the public in making more energy efficient air conditioning purchasing decisions.
According to research by Pure Profile close to a third (30%) of Australians only use the heater once a week to avoid a high bill [1] – particularly in more southern cities such as Melbourne, Hobart and Adelaide.
While most homeowners could expect to pay a little more to keep warm at this time of year, recent changes to working conditions as a result of COVID-19 could catch many by surprise – as hundreds of thousands of people spend more time at home.
This is where air conditioning dealers can step in and help customers reduce energy bills and grow their business at the same time.
While Australians are reliant on air conditioning in both winter and summer months, an overall understanding of energy efficient technology is relatively low.
A skilled air conditioning installer can often help guide a homeowner through this decision-making process. However, one of the complications of the coronavirus safety measures is that homeowners might be reluctant to let a technician into their home. They may also be reluctant to visit a showroom.
Air conditioning dealers can help allay some of those fears by stressing the safety measures they have put in place and maintaining social distancing measures when onsite.
When it comes to providing product advice, the focus should be on energy efficiency and directing them to the right tools to manage energy bills.
For example, LG’s latest range of air conditioners feature an Active Energy Control function, which can help users monitor energy consumption with the LG ThinQ mobile app[2].
At the same time, the LG ThinQ mobile app allows users to control the mode, temperature and fan speed from their home office or workspace directly from their smartphone.
According to Linda Louskos, marketing manager for LG Air Conditioning, the energy control features are important to help consumers looking for effective heating solutions.
“During this time, it is more important than ever that air conditioning dealers work with consumers to help them make smarter decisions about air conditioning solutions,” she said.
“LG is committed to supporting air conditioning installers with quality products in order to provide consumers the most energy efficient products possible.”
References:
[1] The added cost of electricity usage in winter vs summer, Compare the Market, July 2019 citingPure Profile survey, June 2018
[2] Internet, Wi-Fi connection required. Data usage may apply. Controlling devices and features requires compatible smart devices. Features and services may be changed without notice. Google is a trademark of Google LLC.