Our house can get up to 87 degrees when we leave for the day and come back after work. Is it more energy efficient to leave the AC set at 78 degrees while we are gone, or turn it on only when we get home to cool it down from 87 degrees to 78 degrees? It seems to me that we spend more energy & $ if we wait to cool down the house until we get home rather than stabilizing the temp at 78 throughout the day. Would like other opinions.
thanks!
I'm a scientist, and the best thing to do is set your thermostat at about 80 while gone, and then turn it down 2 degrees when you get home. You won't be cooling as much air (the amount that cycles through your unit) that way, instead will be maintaining at a 'comfortable' setting. Hope that helps!
HI M., my husband is an a.c tech (for 14 years) and he says, its more efficient, (energy and on the electric bill) to leave your a.c set on 78 during the day while you are at work. Also make sure to check your filter that its clean, replace if need be, and get it serviced once a year to make sure its running efficiently. If its low on freon, or otherwise then it will be working harder and costing you more money. I hope this helps.....M.
What we do and it seems to keep the bill down is set the air to 80 while we are not home. that way the house doesn't get TOO hot and then you end up running the air for ever to cool down the house. And when we get home if it feels stuffy or hot we turn it down to 78. It seems to have helped with our bill staying down. try it and see how it works!
If you install a programmable thermostat you can keep your cost lower and have a cool and comfortable house when you return from work. While you are are away you can set your thermostate at a higher temp.(not all the way off, but close). You probably know how long it takes for your home to cool down and you can set the therastat to start cooling the house down at that time. Save money and never be uncomfortable.
Hi M.. This is not an issue of opinions, it is science. You are asking a question about thermodynamics, subjects of physics and chemistry. Think about it, if you are not using the AC then you are not using ANY energy. The other scientific fact is that gas (the air in your home) can change temp quickly.
