A question we hear often from Atlanta homeowners is, “What’s the best way to set my thermostat for summer?”
When most people ask this, they mean, “How should I set the thermostat where I will feel comfortable while not running up my energy bill too high?” So, we’ll answer this question with that in mind.
Here’s the answer from the U.S Department of Energy.
The best temperature is 78°F when you’re home. But when no one is home, you don’t need as much cooling.
So for any 8 hour period where typical cooling isn’t needed, the U.S Department of Energy says it’s best to turn your thermostat up 10 to 15 degrees so your air conditioner runs less.
The technical term for this is a “temperature setup.”
You can raise that temperature even higher if you have ceiling fans running in your home.
Some people think temperature setups don’t save any money because the air conditioner needs to work harder to cool your home back to regular temperature (78°F).
That’s a thermostat myth.
If you follow this thermostat advice, you’ll lower your annual cooling costs by 10%-15%. So whatever your utility costs are during the summer, cut that 10%-15% off.
Now, you may be thinking, “I don’t want to keep turning my thermostat up and down! Just leave it on one setting.” And, you can do that if you want. But if you want to save money without all the hassle, then that’s where a programmable thermostat comes in.
Programmable thermostats let you set the program temperature settings ahead of time so it can change to energy efficient settings whenever you want (this varies based on the model, of course).
Overall, programmable thermostat can save you $180 year.
Coolray is your Atlanta-area home comfort expert with specialists in heating, air conditioning, air quality and plumbing. Have more questions? We’d be happy to help – just contact us online.
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