As temperatures rise with summer heat, cooling systems are working overtime and will be using more electricity than normal. Even if you do not change anything inside your home, your air conditioner has to work harder to maintain the temperature inside as the temperature outside rises.
According to Michael Harkins, one of the cooperative’s energy efficiency experts, “If the temperature you’ve set on your thermostat and the outside temperature are different by 20 degrees or more, then your AC is going to be running almost constantly. That uses a lot of electricity, and many members notice that when they get their bill for cooling during summer months.”
To avoid a higher bill, the best time to make changes is before your bill ever arrives. Since you are billed for electricity after you use it, it is very important to do what you can now to keep next month’s bill lower.
There are some steps you can take to save money when it is warm outside:
AC Settings. Set your AC at the Department of Energy-recommended 78 degrees when you are home. If you can live with it a few degrees higher, try that. Every degree that you raise the setting will save you money. If your body is used to having your AC setting cooler than that, try increasing the setting and leaving it there for a few days. This will help your body adjust to the higher setting. And, while 78 may sound high if you are used to keeping your setting on 72, when you come in from a day where it is 110 outside, 78 feels plenty cool.
