Is Turning Off the AC a Loss?… How to Avoid the Progressive Electricity Tax Brackets [Friendly Economy]

[Anchor]

It is Thursday, and we have "Friendly Economy" with reporter Han Jiyeon. Han, it is really hard not to turn on the air conditioner at home these days, so many people must be worried about their electricity bills.


[Reporter]

Electricity bills have what is called a "magic threshold."

Once you cross these progressive tax brackets, the unit price for subsequent usage surges significantly.

So, I calculated just how much this actually amounts to.

With shocking heat reaching levels where a "severe heatwave warning" is issued in Seoul, we often hear stories like, "People even look for bank ATM booths on the weekends," or "Airports have become a hot place for seniors these days."

This is all because people want to go to places with blasting air conditioning to save even a little bit on their electricity bills.

So, I looked into just how high electricity bills actually get.

Electricity bills use a "progressive system" structure where prices jump sharply by tiers.

Normally, 200 and 400 kilowatt-hours are the thresholds where the tiers change, but just for the two months of July and August, these thresholds are generously relaxed and increased to 300 and 450 kilowatt-hours, respectively.

Therefore, if a four-member household used the summer average of 419 kilowatt-hours last year, the bill would be 77,000 won. However, if you blast the AC and exceed 1,000 kilowatt-hours, it can surge up to 370,000 won.

So, just how much can you run it while staying within the threshold? There are many websites that calculate this these days, so I went and calculated it myself.

According to the calculator, for an average household, the first tier is already filled even before turning on the air conditioner.

Based on a 15-pyeong stand-up air conditioner, you can defend against entering a higher bracket up to five hours a day, but at six hours, it immediately crosses into the highest tier.

However, these numbers can vary depending on the type and size of the air conditioner and your usual electricity usage.


[Anchor]

So you have prepared ways to save on electricity bills.


[Reporter]

I used to have a bad habit myself—some people turn off the air conditioner when going out for a short time, but repeatedly turning it off and on can actually result in a loss.

There is what is known as the "90-minute rule."

Researchers at a major corporation actually conducted an experiment.

Turning an inverter air conditioner off and on for just 30 minutes used 5% more power than leaving it on continuously, and turning it off for 60 minutes used 2% more.

However, once it exceeded exactly 90 minutes, turning it off when leaving used less power.

Why does this happen? Inverter air conditioners run the compressor gently to maintain minimum power once the desired temperature is reached.

However, if you turn it off in the middle, the compressor has to run intensively to drop the temperature quickly when turned back on.

For reference, constant-speed air conditioners are the exact opposite.

Constant-speed models do not have the function to gently control power like inverters, so it is more advantageous to turn them off after the temperature has been sufficiently lowered.

You might wonder what kind of air conditioner you have at home, but if you replaced it within the last 15 years, it is almost certainly an inverter type, making constant-speed models quite rare nowadays.

In addition, just raising the target temperature by 1 to 2 degrees Celsius can reduce power consumption from the 10% range to the 20% range.

Neglecting the filter also causes it to use 3% to 5% more power, so it is best to clean it once every two weeks.

Electricity saved this way also returns as money.

Originally, you had to save 3% or more to receive a cash back, but in the second half of this year, saving just 1% will make you eligible.

You can get back up to 120 won per kilowatt-hour for what you save.

You can apply on KEPCO's representative energy platform, "Wise Electricity Life."


[Anchor]

You also organized the parts of the tax code revision that are changing to fit daily life.


<딜터>

Tax deductions given when a child is born are now transitioning to a system of direct budget support.

Previously, 300,000 won for the first child, 500,000 won for the second, and 700,000 won from the third onward were deducted during year-end tax settlement, but this structure meant households paying lower income taxes could not fully receive the benefits.

Therefore, the government intends to shift toward providing direct support at the time a child is born.

Specific amounts are scheduled to be announced in next year's budget proposal.

There are also changes related to automobiles.

The individual consumption tax benefits given when purchasing a hybrid vehicle are ending at the end of this year.

The government's stance is to concentrate support on electric and hydrogen vehicles rather than hybrids, which are already selling well.

There are also changes for those who use public transportation.

Public transportation expenses paid with cards previously received a separate preferential deduction of 40%. However, because other supports such as the K-Pass have been expanded, this preference will be removed starting next year, applying only 15% to 30%, the same as general consumption.

(Photo: Yonhap News)

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※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.