Air conditioners operate most efficiently when there is a reasonable gap between the indoor temperature and your cooling request. So turning your AC off to save money really doesn't work in the long run.
Although many people believe that it is more costly to turn your AC on and off vs. leaving it on, this is entirely false. People often base this belief on the idea that powering on your system requires a burst of energy, so leaving it running would minimize energy usage by reducing these bursts.
There's a broad consensus that switching off your AC while you're not home can help save money, and it is considered good practice to do so during the day for energy conservation.
The Myth About Turning Your AC Off to Save Money
But this is 100% false. But why? If you're keeping your air conditioning system on at all times—even when you're not home—you're not using your AC as efficiently as you could be.
But, generally speaking, if you want to get the best cost and comfort, set the temperature on your AC unit to 77 or 78 degrees Fahrenheit, and just leave it running. Bonus points if your unit has an “auto” setting, and if you've made sure the place is weather-tight and insulated.
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.
It also means higher electric bills. It happens every year: Summer weather starts, the AC kicks on and your electric bill shoots up. As you may know, your air conditioner can add quite a bit to your home's energy use.
When You Run Your AC All Day, Temperature Is Everything. Yes, we have said that it is usually cheaper to keep your air conditioner on all day, but this is only true if you have it set to the right temperature. This method works when you keep it at a higher temperature (albeit lower than however hot it is outside).
"It's more energy efficient to keep the unit on but turn the temperature setting up," she advises. Turning off the AC unit during the day is not necessarily a bad thing — it is a myth that the AC unit has to work extra-hard to cool off a hot house.
It turns out that the best indoor temperature for your home during the summer months is 78 degrees, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. If that temperature falls outside your comfort level, there are several ways to modify how your home feels without causing your energy bill to spike.
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.
You can save 5% to 15% on your air-conditioning bill by raising the temperature when you're away. Despite a myth to the contrary, it's cheaper to cool down a hot house than it is to keep the house consistently cool.
When should you turn off your air conditioner? The answer is when the average daytime temperature stays consistently below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. But if you want to save money and reduce your environmental impact, it's best to turn off your AC as soon as the weather starts to cool down.
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.
“By turning it off, you're making your A/C go full-throttle every single time it's turned on, and that gobbles up much more electricity than just maintaining the desired temperature.” For most households, a strategy called “temperature setbacks” is the most effective way to cut costs, pros say.
Keeping the temperature between 75 and 78 degrees will reduce the risk of overworking your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, he said, and keep your electrical costs down.
Switching to eco-mode, however, results in notable cost savings with AC eco-mode due to its energy conservation approach. By dynamically adjusting the cooling intensity and fan speeds, eco-mode minimizes unnecessary power consumption.
The average cost per kWh in the US is currently $0.11, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). 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.
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.
How much does air-conditioning cost to use? On average, an air conditioner costs between $0.06 and $0.88 per hour to use. Let's see how much air-conditioning costs every month (assuming it runs for 8 hours per day). The cheapest option is $14.40 per month and $211.20 per month on the high end.