What A/C Thermostat Temperature Is the Most Efficient?
Written on: July 17, 2023
We can help you balance cool comfort and energy efficiency.
Did you know that the average home’s energy for air conditioning accounts for roughly 12 percent of its monthly power bills? Each year American homeowners spend about $29 billion keeping cool.
This can be a decent chunk of your home’s budget. If your cooling system isn’t running efficiently, you could be throwing away serious cash.
At OSI Comfort Specialists, we help households in Queens, Nassau and western Suffolk County stay comfortable in the sweltering heat of a New York summer — without breaking the bank. One of the most effective ways to do this is to be disciplined with your home’s thermostat.
What temperature should you set your thermostat in the summer?
It’s a typical summer balancing act. If you set your home’s temperature too low, your central air conditioning will cycle way too much and use a lot of electricity. If you go too high, your whole family will be sweating.
In our experience, setting your thermostat to 78 degrees Fahrenheit strikes the best balance. When you combine it with some other tips below, you can ensure your family’s comfort all summer while keeping your energy bills manageable.
What are some other tactics to reduce your cooling costs?
Here are a few more ways to lower those summertime electricity bills without sacrificing comfort in the process.
- Turn on a ceiling fan. You can run a fan all day for pennies, and it will make the room feel cooler just by moving air around. This will allow you to keep your thermostat temperature higher and still feel comfortable.
- Check your air filters once a month. Dirt and debris can clog your HVAC system and restrict airflow. This makes your A/C equipment work harder to keep you cool. Cleaning or replacing these filters regularly can improve your system’s efficiency by 10 to 15 percent, reduce system breakdowns and help your equipment last longer.
- Make wise temperature adjustments with a programmable thermostat. The U.S. Department of Energy has found that households can save up to 10 percent a year on heating and cooling expenses by turning back thermostat settings by 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours a day. With a programmable thermostat, you can schedule these adjustments for when you’re out of the house working or when everyone is asleep. A Wi-Fi-enabled smart thermostat allows you to make these changes remotely from your smartphone. It can also adjust your temperature when it detects that you aren’t home.
- Tune up your air conditioning system once a year. At OSI Comfort Specialists, our trained HVAC professionals perform comprehensive service on central A/C equipment, which keeps it running efficiently. The modest cost of an annual tune-up is negligible when you consider your lower energy bills and reduced chance of a summer breakdown.
We also offer affordable service plans that come with a free annual tune-up, as well as reduced pricing on repairs and priority emergency service.
Please reach out to our team for more information about our service plans or to schedule an A/C tune-up.