Running the AC unit full-time in our big house example would cost $7.39 per day for the efficient unit, or about $222 per month. For the less efficient unit, you're looking at $10.56 per day or about $317 per month. Not only that, but running all day is hard on your air conditioner.
On average, a home air conditioner can use about 3,000 watts of electricity an hour. If you have it on all day, that's 72,000 watts of electricity a day! However, running it on the 'fan-only' mode will only consume about 750 watts an hour.
As our planet overheats, we're relying more heavily on air conditioning to keep our homes comfortable. And as vindication for all the dads out there, using your AC more is one of the biggest contributors to an elevated electricity bill.
According to the Department of Energy, you can save about 10% a year on energy costs just by setting your thermostat 7 to 10 degrees higher or cooler than normal for 8 hours a day.
Best AC Temperature Settings While You Are Home
As you consider the most comfortable room temperature for your lifestyle and family, keep in mind that for each degree that you set your thermostat above 72 degrees, you can save up to 3% on your energy bill.
This means an AC unit could cost you from $5.17 to $5.94 per day to run. Or about $155-$178 per month you're running it. Let's say you still have an ideal home setup, but a home that's a little bit less than the size of the average home – around 1900 square feet.
Heating and cooling: 45-50%
The largest electricity consumer in the average household is your heating and cooling appliance. By a long shot. Central air conditioners and heaters use tons of energy in order to keep your home set to the right temperature.
The average unit has a 500 watt fan, which uses almost as much energy over the course of the year as a refrigerator, resulting in a $50/month bill. During the summer months, the ducts in your attic and close to your walls can fill with warm air, resulting in the fan blowing hot air into your house.
A constantly running fan will increase your utility bills and produce more humidity in your home because it will just blow warm air around without the AC absorbing moisture and heat.
The more your AC unit has to work, the more energy it uses up and the higher your average air conditioning bill will be each month. If you think you have leaking air ducts, schedule an appointment with your HVAC technician and let them inspect the system.
Cooling yourself with a fan vs. an air conditioner is significantly more energy efficient and cheaper. Fans use around 1% of the electricity consumed by air conditioners. You could leave a fan running for 24 hours and still use less energy than 15 minutes of air conditioning.
In general, it's recommended to keep your thermostat between 24°C (75°F) and 26°C (78°F) for a good balance between comfort and energy efficiency.
What costs the most on your electric bill? Heating and cooling are by far the greatest energy users in the home, making up around 40% of your electric bill. Other big users are washers, dryers, ovens, and stoves. Electronic devices like laptops and TVs are usually pretty cheap to run, but of course, it can all add up.
"But the average monthly cost for most people is anywhere from $70 to $144 a month in the summer." The type of cooling system in your home can also affect energy use, but not as much as you might think.
The Lennox Energy Calculator shows that improving your 10 SEER system to a mid-range 16 SEER model could save you 38% on your electrical bills annually!
On average, a central air conditioner uses around 3,000 to 5,000 watts of electricity per hour. With the average U.S. residential electricity rate at around $0.13 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), the daily cost of running your central air conditioner for 8 hours would be approximately $3.12 to $5.20.
Let us now calculate the AC power consumption using an example. For example, there is a branded 1.5 kW AC that runs 8 hours per day. As a result, the total power consumption of that air conditioner will be 1.5 * 8 * 30 =360 units per month.
System stress: Your air conditioner unit needs time to take a break. If it's running all the time, it can be damaging to the system and lead to the need for a costly replacement. Energy bills: The cost to run your AC 24/7 can be high.
On an average summer day, a general guideline is that your AC should operate between 12 and 16 hours. However, several factors can influence this, including the outdoor temperature, desired indoor temperature, the size and type of your unit, and your home's energy efficiency.