In the dog days of South Carolina summers, blasting the air conditioner can be a tempting respite from the heat. However, cranking the thermostat down to combat hot weather isn’t energy or finance friendly. If you’re trying to stay cool while keeping your bill down, here’s what experts recommend.
What’s the recommended temperature?
“We recommend 78 in the summertime and 68 in the wintertime,” said Horry Electric Cooperative marketing and energy management representative Matt Holmes. “That number is just basically what you would want to set [the thermostat] as for the optimal energy efficiency in a home.”
But how much difference will a few degrees make on your monthly bill? According to Horry Electric, raising your thermostat 3 degrees from 78 to 81 decreases the operating cost by 27%.
If you decide to lower your air conditioning by 3 degrees from 78 to 75, Horry Elective says the cost increases by 32%, and if you set your thermostat down to 72 the cost increases by 69%.
“Anything you go below 78 obviously is going to cost a little bit more, but you’re either going to have a cost-related mindset or you’re going to have a comfort-related mindset at that point,” Holmes said.
Utility company Santee Cooper also recommends setting thermostats at 78 degrees in warmer months to save energy and ensure that HVAC systems can keep up.
“That is the ideal temperature so that your HVAC won’t run over time,” said Santee Cooper public relations specialist Tracy Vreeland.
“Say you set your thermostat to 70 degrees, and it’s 100 degrees out. Well, then your HVAC has to work to make up that 30 degrees. If you’re [setting it] at 78, then it only has to work to make up that 22 degrees,” Vreeland said. “So it works less hard, and every couple of degrees will increase your power bill.”
One Hour Heating Air sales manager Lee Gressett, who has worked in the HVAC industry for 25 years, says that setting your thermostat at 78 degrees is most efficient but not necessary.
“I will tell people 78 degrees if you’re looking to maximize the efficiency of your system and pay the lowest amount on your power bill,” Gressett said. “But we also tell people, if it’s not going to be an issue with you paying a higher power bill and you want to be comfortable in your home, we tell people to set it to their comfort level.”
Keeping your system running
Expensive utility bills aren’t the only risk of setting your thermostat low in the summer. The closer a thermostat is set to the temperature outside, the less often it runs, which is easier on the HVAC system.
“It’s a mechanical machine. It’s got mechanical moving parts and the lower that you set your thermostat, the longer it’s going to run,” Gressett said. “So the longer it runs, obviously the increased runtime is going to have the increased chance of more stress on the equipment, and obviously increased chance of some sort of a breakdown.”
To keep your HVAC system running smoothly, Gressett recommends having maintenance done at least once a year to ensure the coils are clean, the system is properly charged with refrigerant and all electrical components are up to standard.
Setting your thermostat higher while you’re out of the house can save energy and money. According to the Department of Energy , turning your thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees can save up to 10% annually on heating and cooling costs. However, Vreeland warns consumers to be mindful adjusting the temperature lower when they’re back home.
“If you do raise [the temperature of your thermostat] when you go out, when you come home you should only bring it down by two degrees at a time, so that it doesn’t have to overwork to make up that temperature,” Vreeland said. “If you set it for two degrees, let it catch up, then you can do it another two degrees.
Other ways to maximize efficiency and moderate temperature
Make sure ducts are thoroughly sealed — if they aren’t cool air could be leaking into the attic or under the house, according to Gressett.
Replace old air filters. Dirty filters block air flow and make your HVAC system work harder. Vreeland recommends checking filters monthly.
Close window covering when the sun is shining in to naturally lower the temperature of your home. If you want to go a step further, Santee Cooper recommends using window treatments to maximize sun in the winter and keep the heat out in the summer.
Avoid using your oven. Vreeland recommends cooking with a crock pot or a grill outside because ovens heat up the house and use lots of energy.
Limit dyer usage to nighttime when outside temperatures are cooler. Vreeland says, like ovens, dryers use a lot of energy and generate a lot of heat.
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