Everyone in your home may not be able to agree on an ideal temperature in your home. One person may be comfortable at 67 degrees while another may prefer when it is 73 degrees in your home. Finding a happy medium can be challenging. Here’s the best temperature for your thermostat (and bill!) in the warmer months, and what to do if that differs from a temperature that actually makes you comfortable. Overall, everyone’s goal is to be as comfortable as possible without getting a high electricity bill each month.
Ideal thermostat settings for savings
During spring and summer, the US Department of Energy recommends you set your smart thermostat to 78 degrees F. This is ideal if you and your family will be indoors. Be sure to turn on your ceiling fans to maximize the air flow in your home. This can help to keep the temperature lower and disperse the cool air.
When you are away from home, set the temperature a few degrees higher. Why? To ensure that when you and your family are away, you’re not cooling an empty home, and when you arrive back home, it won’t be hot and stuffy.
On the days you don’t need cooling, shut off the AC manually. To prevent the AC from turning on when you are away, program the thermostat to be warmer or around 80 degrees. What you need to keep in mind is that for every degree higher than 78 degrees in summer, you save 6% to 8% off your energy bill. So, to save more money, make sure you set the temperature slightly higher or choose the best setting during summer and spring.
Ideal thermostat settings for comfort
We know that your family may not be on board with setting your thermostat to 78 degrees in the summer. So, here’s how you can keep your family comfortable while trying to save as much as possible.
Find out at what temperature your family is most comfortable. Then, if you are also running your ceiling fans you might be comfortable when you turn your thermostat up a couple degrees. In fact, according to the Department of Energy, ceiling fans can make you feel up to 4 degrees cooler than the room actually is. The goal is to set the temperature just below when you’re uncomfortable so you’ll ultimately still feel cool, while saving a bit of money.
We recommend keeping your home at this temperature where you’re comfortable during the day when people are home and at night while you’re sleeping. This temperature will most likely be different for every home. Then while you’re away set the temperature a few degrees higher. No need to cool your home with no one there. However, constantly adjusting your thermostat can get a little old and you might even forget to make these changes manually. That’s when a programmable thermostat would be beneficial.
Install a programmable thermostat to make adjusting the thermostat easy
It might seem silly to spend money with the goal of saving money, but programmable thermostats are super affordable. It’s a small price you pay upfront to ensure you are saving the most every day without having to think about your thermostat settings for the rest of the warmer months if it’s set correctly.
You can give us a call at 712-252-3007 and one of our HVAC experts can recommend a thermostat that’s best for your needs. We have service that suits you!