Climate change threatens to hit Australia harder than the rest of the world, and according to some projections, temps will raise an average of 5 degrees celsius by 2090. As the weather gets hotter, air conditioning becomes more of a concern. However, if you do not want ridiculously high energy bills and you also want to reduce the amount of energy you consume, you need to think about your air conditioner in a new way.

Here are five of the ideas you should keep in mind as you approach air conditioning in the age of climate change:

1. Design For Climate

According to many environmentalists, one of the reasons that people have become so reliant on air conditioning is because they live in "boxes" that are the same regardless of climate. A generation or two ago, designers created homes that were artfully designed for the climate where they were being erected, and this strategy helped the home to stay cool with little artificial influence.

If you are designing a home, look into how homes have been historically designed to work in your climate. Features such as rooms with multiple windows that can be used to create a cross breeze, the stumps under old Queenslanders or attic windows that release heat are the perfect example of this type of building. If you are not designing your own home, think about adding some traditional cooling features to your existing home.

2. Take Advantage Of Natural Cooling Methods

Having stumps under a home allows air to circulate around the home, and as a result, the home stays cooler. However, even if you are not in a position to lift up your home with jacks and add stumps, you can still take advantage of some natural cooling methods.

Shade is key when trying to reduce the heat in your home. Add awnings or light-blocking curtains to your windows, and if possible, plant trees or other shade-producing plants outside of your windows. Even trees that cast shade on the walls or roof of the home can help to keep it cool. Efforts like these can help you to reduce your reliance on your air conditioner, but if you want to reduce how often you run it, you need to think about efficiency when buying your unit.

3. Choose Your Air Conditioner To Complement Your Home

When choosing your air conditioner, make sure that you choose one that complements your home. You need a unit that is large enough to cool your space without having to run overtime, but you don't want a unit that is too large. If your home tends to have uneven temperatures, consider getting a split air conditioning system so that you can assign different thermostats to different rooms. Work with an air conditioning expert to determine exactly what your home needs.

4. Use Your Air Conditioner Wisely

Even with a perfect house design, cooling natural features and the perfect air conditioning unit, you still need to be wise about how you use your air conditioning unit. Turn off your air conditioner when it is not in use, but keep in mind that you should set it to a cycle on and off so that your home does not get too hot. If it gets too hot, the air conditioner has to work overtime to cool the home.

5. Invest In Cooling Accessories

Pair your air conditioning unit with accessories that make it more efficient. Add an automatic thermostat so that your unit will cycle on and off automatically, and buy new filters frequently so that your unit works more efficiently. Also, talk with an air conditioning expert about which accessories will benefit you the most.