Summer is officially here, but one power company is advising against turning down your thermostats!
With temperatures on the rise, you may be tempted to turn the air up at home , but Alabama Power suggests that everyone should follow the 20-degree rule. That means that if it is 100 degrees outside, your thermoregulator should be set to 80 degrees, according to Atlanta News First.
This means that your thermostat should never be set for a temperature that is more than 20 degrees cooler than the air outside.
While it may sound a bit crazy, a rep for the company, Anthony Cook, says your pockets will thank you when you’re able to avoid breaking the bank as the heat cranks up just in time for summertime.
Moreover, Cook notes that the rule not only helps to keep money in your pockets during a season when electric bills scale higher than average, but it is “based on industry standards for the way most air conditioners are designed.”
Currently, the bulk of air conditioning systems are only equipped to handle a 20-degree difference between outside and inside air temperatures. For instance, if it is 80 degrees outside and you set your thermostat to 70, you’re in the clear. On the other hand, if the weather outside sits at 90 degrees or over, that same setting will cause your unit to run almost non-stop to get the inside air temperatures to even reach 70 degrees.
“What it’s going to do is it’s going to continue to run in order to try and reach the temperature of where you set it, but it really won’t get it beyond that 20-degree mark, and so you’re gonna be wasting energy, which in turn, wastes money,” said Cook.
With people demanding more electricity during the summer season, the higher prices are when it comes to supplying that electricity. You may be looking to combat the heat, but you’ll also be going toe to toe with your budget if you go a bit overboard.
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