What’s the greatest temperature to set my residence AC?
Preserving your own home cool in Florida’s sizzling and humid local weather might be pricey, particularly should you’re always decreasing your thermostat as the warmth index climbs. Setting your thermostat too low not solely drives up your utility payments but in addition wastes vitality. So, what’s the perfect temperature to keep away from losing cash or energy? Listed here are our beneficial thermostat settings for Florida properties, each through the hotter months and when the climate cools down.
In Hotter Months
In 2009, Power Star, a program led by the U.S. Environmental Safety Company (EPA) and the U.S. Division of Power (DOE), launched a report titled “A Information to Power-Environment friendly Heating and Cooling.” This report advised setting your programmable thermostat round 78°F as a place to begin, then adjusting it larger while you’re away or asleep.
In accordance with the DOE, “The smaller the distinction between indoor and out of doors temperatures, the decrease your general cooling invoice shall be.” Air-con techniques can present 17-20° distinction between the within and out of doors of your own home (e.g. warmth index of 95° outdoors = 78° inside).* By minimizing this temperature hole as a lot as attainable, you possibly can maintain your own home snug whereas additionally holding your vitality payments in verify.
Every diploma you decrease your thermostat under 78°F can considerably enhance your cooling prices (see graphic under). For instance, setting your thermostat to 73°F can increase your vitality invoice by practically 50%!
Really useful thermostat cool setting and cooling prices
To assist handle vitality prices, we advocate following the EPA’s instance by setting your thermostat as near 78°F as comfortably attainable while you’re residence. This temperature strikes a stability between holding cool and holding extra of your hard-earned cash in your pocket.
For Methods with Humidity Management
As Floridians, we all know the phrase, “it’s not the warmth, it’s the humidity,” and this holds true inside your own home as nicely. With a variable-speed air handler and a thermostat that controls humidity (you want each), you possibly can set your cooling temperature to 80°F whereas it appears like 77°F (see chart under). By decreasing indoor humidity from the standard 65% to 50%, you possibly can benefit from the consolation of a decrease temperature whereas not breaking the financial institution to take care of it.
*Really useful cooling setpoint with improved humidity management
In Colder Months
In winter months, sustaining a heating setpoint inside 20°F of the skin temperature might be difficult. In components of Florida the place temperatures can drop to 40°F or under, setting your thermostat to 60°F will not be life like. That’s why we advocate utilizing 70°F as a place to begin for heating. Then from there, you possibly can regulate the temperature up or down primarily based in your private consolation and energy-saving targets.
Really useful thermostat warmth setting and heating prices
How Excessive/Low Can You Go?
It doesn’t matter what temperature you like as a beginning setpoint throughout Florida’s hotter months, holding your thermostat on the highest temperature you possibly can comfortably tolerate (or the bottom throughout colder months) is essential to vitality effectivity. Whether or not you’re at residence, away, or asleep, this method can considerably decrease your cooling and heating prices whereas sustaining consolation.
You probably have questions or feedback about our beneficial thermostat temperature settings for Florida properties, contact us in the present day.
*Indoor/out of doors temperature distinction is decreased when out of doors temperature exceeds 95°F.
