Keeping your home at a constant temperature generally means that your HVAC system will run constantly to meet it. This means that your furnace or air conditioner may run when you're asleep, at work, or out of the house. This wastes more energy than the minimal amount that you might save by having it constantly run.
Most of the time, maintaining a comfortable temperature all day in the winter will cost more money than raising it a few degrees when you get home. You don't have to shut it down altogether, but can set it to a low temperature like 58 or 60 degrees.
But as it turns out, the only real pro to keeping your thermostat one temperature is convenience. Sure, when you're away on vacation or gone for the weekend, the consistent temperature is efficient, but when you're at home, there are really no additional benefits.
Proponents of a constant temperature argue that it's more energy-efficient and better for your HVAC system. When you keep the temperature in your home at a constant level, your HVAC system doesn't have to work as hard to maintain that temperature. This can reduce the system's wear and tear and extend its lifespan.
Increased Energy ConsumptionEvery time you adjust your thermostat, your HVAC system has to work harder to reach the desired temperature. This constant fluctuation in temperature settings often leads to increased energy usage, translating into higher utility bills.
Thermostat Operation
The smaller the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be. You can easily save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to around 68°F to 70°F while you're awake and setting it lower while you're asleep or away from home.
For many of us, 70 degrees is the ideal indoor temperature, but when it is close to 100 degrees outside, your AC unit will be working quite hard to meet these expectations. Consider setting your thermostat at 75 degrees to 80 degrees in your home if the outside temperature is approaching triple digits.
WHAT SHOULD I SET MY AC TO AT NIGHT? According to the Cleveland Clinic, the recommended thermostat setting for nighttime is between 60°F and 67°F. 3 Setting your AC within this range can help maintain a comfortable sleeping environment.
The recommended rule of thumb for summertime is to set the temperature to 78 degrees Fahrenheit when you're home and higher when you're away. In general, set it to 82 degrees Fahrenheit when you're asleep and 85 degrees Fahrenheit when you're away.
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.
Increase the thermostat
If you are just as comfortable with your thermostat one or two degrees higher than you currently have it set, go ahead and turn it up. Even a one degree difference will have an impact on your energy bill. Many recommend 78 degrees as a good temperature for air conditioners to run efficiently.
Many say that if you set your thermostat to a single, specific temperature, your HVAC system will use less energy. The logic behind this is that you won't be turning it on and off or making the system cool and reheat the home. This usually is not the case unless your HVAC system has a heat pump.
The short answer is yes, it is cheaper to leave your air conditioner on all day. But this does not mean that you should leave it on full blast, keeping your home so cold that you need a sweater or jacket to be comfortable.
If the temperature is set to 74°F but the thermometer shows 78°F, you will have to recalibrate the thermostat to account for this 4-degree deviation. Even with older AC units or furnaces, you might have to recalibrate your thermostat from time to time.
In short, the 20-degree rule of air conditioning states that you should always keep your AC unit at no more than 20 degrees lower than the outside temperature. It means that, if the outdoor conditions are at 95 degrees, you should set your thermostat at no less than 75 degrees.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you'll want to keep your thermostat set to 78 degrees. It's considered the ideal “magic number,” the one that saves you the most money throughout the season.
Setting the thermostat below 72 degrees while using an air conditioner can cause the unit to work harder than necessary, leading to higher energy bills and potential damage to the appliance.
Quick answer: The ideal house temperature is room temperature, which ranges from 68 to 78 degrees F, though this may vary from season to season. In winter, the average room temperature is generally 62 to 68 degrees, whereas in the summer, the average temperature is 72 to 78 degrees.
The California Energy Commission recommends that homeowners set their thermostat to 78 degrees when they're home and 85 degrees when they're away from home during the summer.
Cooling a house from 80 to 72 degrees is a common goal for many, especially during the peak of summer. On average, this process takes roughly two and a half to three and a half hours.
The average summer temperature is around 71°F. In winter, this falls just a touch to 70°F. Here's a winter breakdown for thermostat settings across the U.S., according to the survey participants: 47% set it between 68°F and 71°F.
Now, let's say you leave your thermostat set to 72°F for 8 hours while you're gone at work during the day. Given Newton's Law of Cooling, your furnace will be running longer and more often during that entire 8 hour period in order to maintain the temperature at 72°F than it would if you set the thermostat to 62°F.
You can also reduce your energy costs significantly by raising the temperature while you are at work, away from home, or asleep. For the greatest savings, consider setting your thermostat to: About 78 degrees while you are at home. About 82 degrees while you are sleeping.
The U.S. Department of Energy recommends 78° as the best temperature setting for your air conditioner during the daytime. And 82° for sleeping in the summer.