When it comes to your home or your office, everyone has a personal preference on what the best temperature is for your thermostat. While there is no right or wrong answer as to where to set your thermostat, there are optimum temperatures to run your air conditioning and heating units to help you save on your energy bills and prolong the life of your HVAC system.
Across the country, we continue to see average temperatures increasing, leading to warmer summers and an increase in heat events. It can be challenging for homeowners to keep a cool comfort level while trying to save money on your electricity bill. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) suggests setting your thermostat to 78°F during the summer when you are home during the summer, and 68°F when you are home during the winter. The DOE also suggests adjusting your thermostat to 85°F in summer and 55°F in winter if you plan to be away for prolonged periods of time.
In addition to monitoring your temperature setting, other energy saving tips can range from switching to a programmable thermostat, controlling the humidity levels in your home, and using the “auto” fan setting on your AC unit. Programmable thermostats and Smart thermostats both offer automated temperature controls, which are great for basic scheduling needs. For ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostats, customers can expect to save around 8% annually on utility bills. While programmable thermostats are more budget friendly, Smart thermostats offer more functions like remote access, app control and learning capabilities that better understand when you are home and can adjust the temperature when you are away making your home more energy efficient.
Controlling the humidity levels in your home and office will also affect your energy costs. Your AC system’s capacity is split between lowering the air temperature and removing excess water vapor. Higher humidity makes the air feel warmer and forces your air conditioner to work both longer and harder to remove moisture. This not only increases your energy consumption and electricity bills, but also leads to uneven cooling of your home and can create uncomfortable conditions that lead to issues like mold growth over time. Running exhaust fans and using a dehumidifier are other ways to help lower the humidity levels in your home, while also using your air conditioning system.
The “auto” fan setting on your cooling system can be used to boost your energy savings. The “Auto” setting differs from the “On” setting in a few key ways. In auto mode, the fan starts when the air conditioner or heater turns on and circulates air to reach the set temperature. Once that temperature is reached, the fan and the entire system shuts off. In the “on mode”, the fan runs continuously, even when the system is not actively heating or cooling.
Set aside specific times to maintain your AC system. Remember to replace your air filter regularly to help with airflow and control dust and allergens. Scheduling an annual AC tune-up is a smart way to extend the life of your unit. Since the temperature range varies throughout the year, the ideal time for your tune-up is early spring during cooler temperatures. We all can agree that we would be more comfortable with the AC going out on a lower temperature day than in the middle of a heat wave.
While adjusting your thermostat settings on higher temperature days can help save on your utility bill, so can turning off ceiling fans when you are not using the space. Ceiling fans cool people but they do not lower the temperature of a room. The blades of a ceiling fan have a slant to them to help push or pull the air in a particular direction. When they rotate counterclockwise, it helps cool the air in the space and helps improve air flow. When the outdoor temperatures begin to drop, you can also use your ceiling fan to warm your room but switching the fan to run clockwise, pulling cool air up and pushing the warmer air down.
People may continue to have strong opinions on what the best air conditioning temperature is for their respective home or office, but everyone can agree that saving money on your energy costs is important and a priority. Using Smart Thermostats or Programmable Thermostats is an easy way to manage your cooling costs and help with controlling your energy usage. Maintaining the humidity levels at home and scheduling regular tune-ups will help you extend the life of your AC system and make you more energy efficient.
Conserving energy while you keep a comfortable indoor temperature is a pretty cool idea.