Sydney scientists believe they have found a way to cut air con costs this summer

As the rising cost of energy bills places pressure on Aussie household budgets, Sydney scientists believe they have developed a simple method which could cut down air conditioning usage by up to 70 per cent in the warmer months.

Researchers at The University of Sydney assessed the effectiveness of cooling the person, using a fan versus the cooling the air, using an air conditioner.

They found that blowing air across the skin makes the temperature of the air feel about four degrees Celsius cooler.

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University of Sydney senior researcher Dr Federico Tartarini said the 'fan first' method is a savvy way to save during summer.

"[It is] very cheap to buy, very easy to maintain and and you have a massive benefit when you are going to get your electricity bill," he said.

Using a fan as the first port of call means households can increase their air con target temperature trigger, explained University of Sydney professor Ollie Jay.

"What it means is it's turning on later in the day, its turning off earlier in the day.. its on for a shorter period.. and some days it might not be on at all," he said.

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"The cost benefit of this approach is better than from when everybody switched from incandescent lighting to LED lighting," Prof. Jay said.

The technique is expected to serve as a handy approach for Aussies like Tara Sing, who finds cooling her family home a costly task when temperatures rise.

"We try and hold off using air con until we really need it just because its really expensive to run," she said.

"I know that if we have a really hot summer our bill could double or triple from what it normally is."