Two weeks ago, the Coloradoan surveyed its readers about what temperature they set their air conditioners to in the summer.
The most popular answer? 78 degrees Fahrenheit.
But settling the debate isn’t so easy. Some readers said they prefer a different temperature during the day and at night. Others simply said they don’t use AC.
Below you will find the results of our survey and some expert advice on how to keep your home cool while keeping your energy bills low:
Results of optimal temperature survey
In total, just over 5,400 readers voted in our poll. Of those, 14.7% said they set their AC to 78 degrees (which is what the government recommends). However, the rest of the votes were not evenly distributed around this temperature.
The median value was 75 degrees, and “70 degrees or lower” was twice as popular as “80 degrees or higher.”
One of our readers, Dean Wallace, has a programmable thermostat that sets it to 26 degrees Celsius in the afternoon and 29 degrees Celsius in the evening.
Others, like Kim Sharpe, don’t use air conditioning at home.
“I open windows at night and close them and curtains in the morning. I keep ceiling fans on to keep air circulating. Unless the outside temperature is in the mid-90s or higher, my house doesn’t get warmer than 80 or so by late afternoon, which isn’t too uncomfortable,” Sharpe shared with the Coloradoan via email.
How do different temperatures affect my energy bill?
There are many variables that affect how much you pay for electricity, such as the size of your home and the age and efficiency of your appliances. But keeping it colder will cost you more.
“On average, for every two degrees higher you set your air conditioning, you can save up to 14% on your cooling costs,” says Glenn Pease, senior supervisor of energy services at Fort Collins Utilities.
“When you use electricity is just as important, if not more important, as how much you use,” Pease said.
During the summer, peak hours in Fort Collins are from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM on weekdays. During these hours, electricity costs are higher than at other times of the day.
More: Summer Peak Hours in Fort Collins: When and Why Your Electricity Sometimes Costs Three Times More
“So if you run your air conditioner during off-peak hours, it costs an average of 20 cents an hour to run. However, if you run your air conditioner during peak hours, it costs an average of 80 cents an hour,” Pease said.
Time saving strategy
According to Pease, one way to take advantage of the rates at certain times of day is to set different temperatures throughout the day.
Using 78 degrees as an example, Pease recommends pre-cooling your home to 76 degrees before 2 p.m., then simply letting the AC ramp down to, say, 80 degrees during peak hours. At 7 p.m., when peak hours are over, you can turn it back down to 78 degrees.
“I would encourage customers to experiment with this and find out which settings help them balance comfort and cost,” Pease said.
Wallace uses this approach, where he lets the temperature fluctuate between 23 and 26 degrees Celsius during the day, and sets it a few degrees higher at night.
(The city has an online tool that allows you to calculate monthly energy costs based on when you use the appliance.)
Alternatives to air conditioning
Heat pumps are an energy-efficient alternative that provides both cooling and heating. This technology can not only save energy costs, but also reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to warming trends.
Fort Collins has service providers “in the Efficiency Works Homes program who are trained to install heat pumps and Fort Collins Utilities customers can also receive rebates when they work with that Efficiency Works Homes service provider,” Pease said.
More information about these rebates can be found on the city’s website. The state energy office also has tax credits of up to $1,500 for heat pumps.
For heat pumps, Pease noted, it’s more efficient to set a constant temperature for the heating side of things. For cooling, the coasting approach works fine.
More energy consumption tips
Renters in Fort Collins can also get a free energy audit from the city. Homeowners pay a $60 fee.
“Someone will come out and do an energy audit of your unit and can make targeted recommendations right away based on your setup,” said Nick Combs, the city’s communications and marketing manager for utilities.
“The great thing is that you get a complete energy audit report at the end. And we’ve had people who were able to take that to their landlord and start a conversation,” Combs said.
In terms of maintenance, Pease advises doing it seasonally: have your air conditioning checked before using it in the summer and your heating before using it in the winter.
It is also important to replace the AC filters.
“So it really depends on the size of your filter slot. For a one-inch filter slot, which is most common, we recommend doing it as cheaply as possible and replacing it every three months,” Pease said.
And if you’re concerned about air quality, Pease recommends looking into ENERGY STAR air purifiers.
“We’re in the funky position of utilities that we actively want people to use less of the product that we sell,” Combs said. “So anything we can do to help them realize that and make sure that people’s homes are efficient and comfortable, we’re all for that.”
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: The Most Popular Temperature for AC and Energy Saving Tips
