As the days get hotter, you’ll quickly discover that your ceiling fan is not enough to fight the heat. With summer here, you will need to turn on your HVAC system to keep your home nice and comfy. But this leads to two questions: Is it more important to keep your monthly energy bills low? Or keep your home’s thermostat at a comfortable level? As such, you may be weighing your options and asking yourself the question most homeowners repeatedly ask: What temperature should I set my air conditioner in the summer? In today’s blog, we’ll go over what the ideal temperature is, along with some tips to help you save on your energy bills.
What Temperature Should I Set My Air Conditioner in the Summer?
While there’s no “one size fits all ” temperature that’ll work well for all households, there is a certain temperature recommended by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)—which we’ll get to in a bit. Using that temperature as a starting point, it’s relatively easy to then figure out the optimal temperature for the needs and preferences of your specific household—be it personal comfort level, energy savings, or a harmonious combination of both!
What Temperature Should I Set My Air Conditioner in the Summer?
When it comes to figuring out the ideal home temperature for your home in the summer, we hear lots of questions, such as:
- What temperature should I set my air conditioner in the summer?
- What temperature should I set my thermostat to?
- How cool should my air conditioner be if it’s 100° Fahrenheit outside?
- What’s the highest temperature I should set my air conditioning unit before I get hot?
- Is 72° Fahrenheit a good temperature for my air conditioning?
Before getting started with answering these questions, we’re going to check out the U.S. Department of Energy’s house temperature recommendations for summer. According to the DOE, the optimal air conditioning temperature for the summer is 78° Fahrenheit. However, this recommendation is intended as a base point. Remember, every home is different. Homes vary in shape, size, positions, and locations. Some homes get more direct sunlight while others remain in the shade for most of the day. We recommend staying with the starting point of 78° and adjusting it up or down according to your home’s unique needs.
How Do I Cut My Electric Bill While Keeping My Home Cool?
In order to cut down your electric bill as much as possible, we recommend setting your thermostat at different temperatures throughout the day. Consider the following factors below when specifying the temperature of your air conditioner in the summer:
What’s the current temperature outside?
When deciding which temperature to set your thermostat to, you should first look at the current temperature outside and do the math. The less difference there is between the indoor and outdoor temperature of your home, the less energy your HVAC system will have to utilize.
What’s your ideal temperature for comfort?
Keeping the air conditioner set to 78° Fahrenheit may be a bit too warm for some—especially for households that are looking for much-needed relief from the severe heat. To find the ideal temperature for your home, first start with the base number of 78° Fahrenheit. If you find that you’re too hot or cold, slowly adjust your thermostat by one degree at a time unto; you find the optimal comfort level.
Extra Energy-Saving Tips
When it comes to the energy efficiency of your home, there are some extra tips you could take into account, such as:
- Install ceiling fans – the airflow that ceiling fans create helps ACs work more efficiently.
- Install a smart thermostat – pre-set schedule can make it easy to remain energy efficient.
- Avoid turning your AC temperature to a really cold level – A really low temperature will not create cool air in your home any faster. It’ll just waste more energy and sometimes cause excessive cooling.
- Consider investing in an Energy Star-rated air conditioning unit – energy Star-rated air conditioning units consume less energy, thus helping you save on your energy bills.
Replace Your HVAC System With Atlas HVAC Inc.
Enjoying a cool summer doesn’t mean you have to break the bank! You can enjoy a comfortable summer season with low energy bills with these tips. We hope this blog helped to see how to figure out the optimal temperature you should set the temperature of your air conditioner during the summer. If you have any questions or need a new HVAC system for your home, contact Atlas HVAC Inc today! Give us a call at (877) 452-8527, or click here for a FREE quote!
