How to Set Your Air Conditioner for Comfort & Cost Savings
Keeping your home cool in July and August without sending your electric bill through the roof can be a balancing act. On these muggy summer afternoons, many Iowans wonder: “What temperature should I keep my home?”
Our recommendation: Set your thermostat to the temperature that’s most comfortable for you. At Wyckoff Heating & Cooling, we install air conditioning systems based on the standard of maintaining a 75°F temperature indoors when it hits 91 outside. But we also know that a temperature recommendation isn’t as simple as one number.
Yes, the higher you keep your thermostat, the more you’ll typically save. But you’ll also help keep your energy bills in check by avoiding some of the most common energy-wasting mistakes. These include incorrectly managing indoor humidity, switching your AC off and on repeatedly, and not adjusting the thermostat setting based on the time of day.
Let’s take a closer look at how to find the best balance of comfort and cost savings in summer.
What’s the Recommended Indoor Temperature for Iowa Summers?
A quick Google search will tell you that setting your AC around 78 degrees in the summer is a good way to save money. Setting it to 78° vs. 72° can save more than 60% of your energy usage for cooling, according to MidAmerican Energy, Iowa’s largest utility provider.
But if 78° sounds hot to you, you’re not alone. Nationally, Consumer Reports has found the median American keeps their home at 73° during the day and 72° at night. Here in Iowa, a recent Des Moines Register survey found the most popular temperature is around 74 degrees.
Comfortable sleeping temperatures can run even lower. A study released this year from Bear Mattress found that 67° is many people’s ideal sleep temperature.
The big takeaway here is that the ideal summer temperature isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. For some people, it’s 78°. For some, it’s 68°. For others, it’s 72° or 75°. What’s most important is finding the best balance of comfort and cost savings for you.
With that said, here are some of the main factors that will help you get the most out of your energy bill, no matter what temperature you set it at.
1. Change Your Thermostat Setting Based on Time of Day
One of the easiest ways to save money is to keep your home warmer when you’re not there. If you leave your home for work during the day, you’ll save money by setting it higher during the day and then lowering it at night when you’re home.
ENERGY STAR recommends setting your thermostat at least seven degrees higher (for example, at 85° if your baseline is 78°) when you leave for the day. It also recommends raising it about 4 degrees higher (for example, 82°) while you’re asleep.
Whatever your baseline temperature is, programming your thermostat (or changing it manually) to be 7-10 degrees warmer while you’re out of the home will help you save on your cooling bills.
2. Raise the Temp Instead of Shutting Your AC Off & On Repeatedly
Heat waves come and go, sometimes within the same day. If you don’t need as much cool air for a certain period of time, it’s almost always better to adjust your thermostat rather than shut the system off entirely.
Turning the system off completely and then back on during short periods of time is counterproductive for energy savings. That’s because it can allow humidity to build up and the baseline temperature of your home to slowly rise, making it less efficient in the long run to cool it down.
So turn your AC up – not off – when you head out for the day or a quick overnight stay somewhere.
3. Pay Attention to the Humidity
Yes, we know. “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity” is one of the most tired Midwestern cliches out there. However, there’s plenty of truth in it for your HVAC system. Managing indoor humidity on muggy Iowa days is the often overlooked key to keeping your home cooler in the summer.
Your air conditioner will naturally remove some moisture from your home, but its primary role is cooling, not dehumidifying. To truly decrease the humidity in your home, you need a standalone dehumidifier or a whole-home system that can be installed in the ductwork. If you’re wondering whether you have one or want to learn about your options, give Wyckoff a call.
A common mistake we see people make: Introducing more humidity into the home than is necessary. For example, opening windows on a rainy day when it’s cooler outside. Even though the temperature outside may be cooler, this can make your home feel warmer in the long run. That’s because opening your windows reintroduces humidity that your system has spent the previous days working to eliminate.
4. Use Fans to Help With Airflow
Sometimes turning on a fan will be just as productive, if not more, than turning down your AC. Raising your AC temp by just two degrees and turning on a ceiling fan can give you 14% savings on energy costs, according to ENERGY STAR.
If AC is completely off, running the fan can help recirculate the air. Cool air naturally stays low, so running your AC fan can possibly help pull cold air from the basement and push warmer air down from upper levels.
Other Important Considerations
Maintain Your Air Filter
No matter what temperature you prefer, a dirty air filter will hurt your efficiency. This makes it harder for your AC to cool your home, raises your energy bill, and can lead to further AC problems down the road.
Schedule Regular AC Service Checks
The best way to keep your AC operating smoothly through the summer is to take care of it. With a Peace of Mind Service Plan from Wyckoff, we’ll check your HVAC system twice a year to make sure everything is ready to go.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to run your AC all day or turn it off and on?
It is almost always cheaper to keep your AC running on a steady schedule rather than turning it off. When you turn your system completely off, your walls, furniture, and flooring absorb heat and humidity all day. When you turn it back on, the system has to run longer to remove that heat, consuming more energy than if you had simply raised the thermostat 7-10 degrees while away.
Is 72 too cold for AC in summer?
Not necessarily, but it depends on your budget and the health of your AC system. While 72° provides great comfort, running your AC significantly below the 75° baseline means your system will run more frequently, leading to higher energy bills. If 72° feels necessary because your home feels sticky, managing your indoor humidity with a whole-home dehumidifier can make 74° or 75° feel just as cool.
What’s the best way to quickly cool down a hot house?
One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is coming home to a warm house and cranking the thermostat down to 60°. Your air conditioner cools at the exact same rate regardless of how low you set the thermostat. Setting it to 60° won’t cool the house any faster—it just guarantees the unit will run non-stop and risk freezing up the coils. Set it to your desired final temperature (e.g., 72°) and let the system do its job at a steady pace.
Get the Most out of Your Air Conditioner With Wyckoff
From regular service checks to emergency AC repair, Wyckoff is the partner you need for the lifespan of your HVAC system. Got questions? Contact our team here.