Summer is now upon us, which means you can use your air conditioner to achieve consistent indoor comfort. However, this also means striking the right balance between the comfort preferences of your household and making sure you’re using energy wisely. So, what’s the ideal temperature for your thermostat this summer? Energy assessment contractor California Energy Consultant Service answers this question and more here.
The Right Thermostat Temperature for Summer
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the best way to keep your interior cool while saving money on utilities this summer is to keep your house warmer than usual when no one is home and to set the temperature as high as you can comfortably stand when you are there.
ENERGY STAR®, a program of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy, suggests that the indoor climate for summer should be kept at 78 degrees Fahrenheit when people are home. When everyone’s asleep, the temperature should be set to 82 degrees. When no one’s home, the temperature can be adjusted to 85 degrees. You can save the most money using these suggestions.
If setting your thermostat to somewhere in the 80s seems too warm, a good rule of thumb is to turn it up from your normal setting for eight hours a day. This will save up to 10% on your energy bill each year, allowing for improved home performance.
Why It’s Important
People often think that setting the AC to a lower temperature than usual will help cool the indoors faster. In reality, an AC will only make your home 15 to 20 degrees cooler than the outside temperature. Any other setting won’t make your home any cooler and will cost you more money than necessary. Also, setting the temperature inside your home higher in the summer will actually slow the flow of heat into your home, saving you energy and money.
California Energy Consultant Service offers professional air conditioner repair and replacement services to ensure that your home is kept cool as efficiently as possible. We are also a reliable window replacement contractor — you can count on us to install high-quality replacement windows that come with features that will help improve your home’s energy efficiency and thermal comfort.
To schedule a free consultation, give us a call at (916) 993-5000, or fill out our contact form. We serve residents in Rancho Cordova and Sacramento, CA, as well as the surrounding communities.