What’s the best air conditioner setting during Kentucky’s heatwave? What experts say
With heat index values in the Lexington area expected to top 100 degrees Thursday — and reach up to 106 degrees Friday — the National Weather Service in Louisville is urging the public to drink plenty of fluids, stay out of the sun and check in on vulnerable relatives and neighbors.
The sweltering weather will likely have you hunkering down indoors and cranking the air conditioning. But contrary to popular belief, drastically dialing down the thermostat won’t cool your home any faster and will further raise your electric bill, which is sure to soar during this weekend’s heat wave.
Here’s what the experts recommend when it comes to saving energy and money cooling your Kentucky home.
How much of my power bill comes from running the AC?
When it comes to your home’s energy consumption, heating and cooling take the most to run, so if you want to cut your power bill, you should focus on those two sources first.
Between heating and cooling your home, it’s the latter that demands the greatest amount of energy to run — almost 20% of the total, according to figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Detached single-family homes in the South consume the most electricity on average, and according to the EIA, they’re more likely to have electric heating and use more air conditioning.
So if you live in Kentucky, which the U.S. Census Bureau places in the South, what is the most efficient temperature to set on your thermostat?
According to a Kentucky Department of Energy and Environment Cabinet spokesperson, the agency does not have a specific recommendation, but does endorse the federal Department of Energy’s guidance.
“[The Department of Energy] recommends keeping the thermostat as high as comfortable in the summer months,” Kentucky DOEEC spokesperson Robin Hartman wrote in a recent email to the Herald-Leader.
Invest in a programmable thermostat for your home
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can save as much as 10% a year on home heating and cooling costs by simply turning your thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit from its usual setting for eight hours a day.
It sounds obvious, but a key principle to keep in mind is the smaller the difference between the indoor temperature of your home and the temperature outside, the more money you save on cooling.
For example, if have your thermostat configured to 80 degrees while you’re not home, lower it to 75 degrees instead of 68 to 70 immediately after you get home.
Maintaining a higher temperature in your home will actually slow the flow of heat into your home from the outside, meaning your home holds onto relatively cool conditions longer the DOE recommends. In the summer, you can keep your house warmer than normal while you’re away, like when you’re at work or away on vacation.
Then, when you come home, adjust your thermostat to as high as is comfortable for you.
You can automate this process with a programmable thermostat. A basic unit should cost you between $25 and $75 (not counting installation), according to Forbes.
With a programmable thermostat, you can set a schedule for your air conditioner to run. The devices can also store and run multiple settings throughout the day. For example, set it to automatically run the AC less while you’re asleep. (Try placing an oscillating fan by your bed to keep cool if you get uncomfortable.) You can set the thermostat so it automatically cuts back on running the air conditioner when you’re away at work or running errands each day.
There is an upfront cost for buying and having a programmable thermostat installed, particularly a smart thermostat with extra features, but it could pay for itself in home energy savings.
You can view the federal government’s recommendations for how to shop and get a programmable thermostat installed at energy.gov/energysaver/programmable-thermostats.
Other tips for keeping your home cool in the summer
There are other ways you can cool your home efficiently during the summer and contain your electricity bills.
The Department of Energy recommends the following, along with these other energy saving tips:
Make sure you clean or replace your air conditioner filters once a month or as recommended by the manufacturer. Add an air filter check to your regular cleaning routine and clean or change it when needed.
In the summer, close the shades and keep the curtains drawn on the windows. Don’t let warm sunlight into your house during the hottest hours of the day.
Don’t run your bathroom or kitchen exhaust fans constantly. Turn them off about 15 to 20 minutes after you’re done showering or cooking. In the long-term, consider transitioning to more efficient, low-noise models.
Finally, when you shop for new appliances, make energy efficiency a priority in what you buy. Look for the Energy Star. The Department of Energy also maintains and publishes energy efficiency standards for many different types of consumer products on its website. If you’re working with a contractor, ask for energy efficiency fact sheets on the different models and designs to compare energy savings and, by extension, cost savings.
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