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.
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.
According to the Department of Energy1, 78° Fahrenheit is the sweet spot for air conditioners to balance energy savings and comfort when people are at home and need cooling.
1. Experiment With Temperatures Until Your Family Is Comfortable If you're ready to make moves to maximize your savings on your energy bill, you're in the right place. The US Department of Energy recommends 78 degrees as the optimal temperature for your thermostat in cooling season.
One great way to lower energy costs is to avoid cooling an empty house. This is especially true during the middle of the day. If everyone in your household is either at work or school, then turning the temperature to 78-80 degrees will save you a chunk of change when the energy bill arrives.
This is more of a personal question, as different people feel comfortable at different temperatures. Since 72 degrees is generally agreed upon to be an ideal indoor temperature, most people would probably still feel comfortable setting their AC units slightly higher than this, perhaps at around 75.
Eco or energy-saving mode
This is the ideal mode for users looking to save up on energy bills by toning down the performance of the AC and its compressor. Eco-mode uses less electricity by automatically adjusting the fan speed and temperature, while still maintaining a comfortable level of cooling.
What is the Best Thermostat Setting for Summer Air Conditioner Use? Energy Star recommends the following thermostat temperatures for your air conditioner in the summer: 78°F during the day if people are home. 82°F at night if people are home.
In the winter, set your thermostat to 68 degrees or the lowest comfortable temperature. In warmer months, set it to 78 degrees or higher. It's a no-cost option to reduce energy expenses. At night or when you're going to be away from home for an extended period, adjust the thermostat a few more degrees.
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.
For every one degree you go up in temperature, you're reducing your energy usage by about 1%. "The difference between 72 to 74 might be very impactful to your bill, without really making you any more uncomfortable," said Dave Schrader with NRG.
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.
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.
Recommended AC Temperature for Sleeping
The Sleep Foundation says 65° is the best temperature for sleeping. However, if you prefer a slightly warmer or cooler room, that's okay, too. The recommended range is 60–68°, so there is some wiggle room.
There are benefits to having your air conditioner set to “auto” and “on.” The benefits of the “auto” setting include higher efficiency, lower energy bills, better humidity control, less wear and tear on some components, and quieter running.
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.
The National Sleep Foundation says 60-67 is a good temperature for sleep, but that might be too cold for you and increase your cooling bill. As a compromise, 70-plus degrees is a good setting.
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.
Your air conditioning system is one of the biggest culprits behind skyrocketing electric bills. When your air filter is dirty, refrigerant levels are low, your thermostat is faulty or you lack proper maintenance, your A/C system can end up using a lot more energy than it should.
On the one hand, keeping a constant temperature can be more energy-efficient in some cases because your HVAC system doesn't have to work as hard switching between temperatures. However, this approach can also lead to wasted energy if you're heating or cooling your home when no one can enjoy it.
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.
Blowing ceiling fans, wearing lightweight clothing, and using ice packs will help you cool down and allow you to bump up the temperature on your AC unit. Even a one-degree change helps save energy. Use a programmable thermostat: A programmable thermostat allows you to adjust the temperature based on a schedule.
A more moderate setting like 24°C (75.2°F) can achieve comfort with reduced electricity usage.
A 5 star AC offers superior energy efficiency, leading to lower electricity bills, while a 3 star AC is more budget-friendly but tends to consume slightly more power. If you're undecided on whether to go for a 5 star or 3 star AC, consider factors like long-term energy savings and initial costs.