Letters to the editor − July 23, 2026

Keep cool and save money

Alan Zelt of Naxxar writes:

We have a solution that we have used for the past five years. It will keep you cool, uses less electricity, makes a lot of water to water your plants and will save you money. If your AC unit has a dry mode, instead of setting it to cooling mode, set it to dry mode, with a setting of 25°C. If your room temperature is, say 32°C, it brings the temperature down to about 25-26°C.

What is happening is that the humidity is lowered dramatically. At our home, if the humidity is in the 80% range outdoors, inside it is usually 43-48%. That is what makes you feel cool. It also cuts our electricity costs in summer by 20% to 30%. And, as it produces gallons of water every day, we have enough to water all our plants on the terrace, thereby lowering our water bills as well.

I sincerely hope you try this out in your home. I am truly surprised and disappointed that Enemalta did not pass on this tip themselves. Keep cool Malta!

PS: As a home baker, who makes bread all the time, it even impacts the amount of water I use in my bread recipes. As a side benefit, I am helping the environment and doing my part to cut down on water and electricity usage, not to mention saving electricity for Malta.

Keeping ACs on dry mode with a setting of 25°C, reduces temperatures and cost. Photo: Shutterstock.com

Work during heatwaves

Albert Said of Naxxar writes:

Workers should not be given outdoor jobs after 10.30am during heatwaves such as we are having.A supervisor told me: “There is nothing we can do about it!”.

This letter is one thing I could do about it. Maybe some reader with more authority than me could do more about it and stop this cruel and hazardous abuse.