Australia wastes more than 1 bln USD on air conditioning each year: survey

SYDNEY, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- As rolling heatwaves continue across Australia this summer, a new survey has found that Aussies' lackadaisical approach to air conditioning is costing the nation a collective 1.23 billion U.S. dollars each year.

The finder.com.au survey revealed on Wednesday that of the 2,017 respondents, one in five admitted to leaving their cooling units on even when they had left their home.

On average, 4.1 hours of energy is wasted each day by every Australian, with the total cost for each Aussie household added up to 440 U.S. dollars every quarter or an extra 1,760 U.S. dollars per year.

But finder.com.au money expert Bessie Hassan said the consequences of "luxury cooling" are brushed aside when the heat becomes too much to bear down under.

"When faced with a heatwave and temperatures as high as 40 degrees, we don't usually think of our electricity bill some three months away -- we just want to instantly cool down," he said.

"But after a few scorchers, this way of thinking can leave you with post-summer bill shock."

Of those most prone to over indulge in needless chill time, according to the survey, are young people aged 18 to 22 and women, who waste an average of 5.6 and 4.2 hours per day respectively.

Men were slightly more frugal, wastingly only 3.8 hours of air conditioning time per day. Enditem