There is a very thin line between keeping cool in the summer and incurring energy bills that would cost you a fortune. In this article, we shall be going through a few tips to help you maintain comfort in the summer without having extravagant bills.
Comfort is something that can be pretty subjective. However, on a general level, it is recommended to use your air conditioner at 26C. This is said to be the point where comfort meets the budget.
If you are really looking to save money, then, you should also consider adjusting the temperature of the air conditioner when leaving home. You should set your thermostat a few degrees higher to help save some money.
You can save as much as 10 percent on your electricity bill by raising your thermostat to about 31C.
When the interior temperature of the house is higher, it reduces the flow of heat into the house. This implies that your air conditioning system will not require too much energy to get the room cool again.
Now that you have a basic idea of how the air conditioning system affects your energy bills, we can get into the details. Get yourself into a comfortable position and let’s get started!
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How To Keep An Even Graph Between Comfort And Cost
We understand that you are trying to save money on your energy bill and still escape the heat of the summer. Above we talked about doing this by adjusting the temperature when you are in and out of the house.
However, this step is only the beginning. There are more tips that you can use to keep both your house temperature and energy bill down.
Tip 1 – Thermostats
The thermostat you use plays a very big role in how well you save money on your energy bills.
There are two thermostat-types that you should use in your home if you don’t want your electricity bill to be outrageous. The first is the programmable thermostat, while the second is the smart thermostat.
Programmable Thermostats
Programmable thermostats were designed as an upgrade from the old manual thermostats that came with old air conditioners. They automatically adjust the temperature inside your house at different times of the day.
The programmable thermostat is designed to offer different options for different purposes. You can set your thermostat to increase the temperature while you are at work and readjust it a few hours before you get home.
Depending on how much time you spend outside the house, you can give the thermostat programming that regulates the temperature while you are away. This way, you don’t have to set your thermostat constantly in a bid to regulate the temperature for different times.
Some new programmable thermostats have an option that functions in those times of the year when the weather gets weird. For those seasons of very hot days and very cold nights, you can just set your thermostat to adjust at different times.
Smart thermostats
For the smart thermostat, it is an improved technology from the programmable thermostat. In fact, the smart thermostat is designed to do everything the programmable thermostat can do – and more.
The biggest advantage that the smart thermostat has over the programmable is the internet feature. The smart thermostat has an option that allows it to connect to the wireless internet connection in your home.
This means that you now have the opportunity to control the thermostat with other compatible smart devices. You can now regulate the temperature easily and even set a schedule for heating and cooling your home.
One feature that makes the smart thermostat stand out is that some allow you to track and monitor the energy usage of your air conditioning. This way you can easily regulate how much energy you use and keep the cost at a minimal level.
The smart thermostat can even detect when you leave home, so it adjusts to a higher temperature. It also detects when you get home and readjusts to something lower.
So, in summary, do well to invest in a modern thermostat. The automation they offer makes it much easier to keep the usage moderate.
Check out these other articles…
What Size Air Conditioner Do I Need?
How Does Air Conditioning Work?
How To Install A Window Air Conditioner
How To Install Central Air Conditioning Yourself
Why Is My Air Conditioner Not Cooling The House?
Which Car Company Was The First To Offer Air Conditioning In Its Cars?
Tip 2 – Sleep
You are probably wondering, what has your sleep got to do with all this? Well, it is involved in a lot more than you would imagine.
The average sleep time of a person in hours is between 5 and 8. Now, imagine how much you can save by cranking up the temperature of your air conditioner for about 8 hours. The question now might be, won’t that make your family uncomfortable in their sleep?
Well, the typical sleep clothing of a person is pajamas (which are relatively thick sometimes). Like that isn’t enough, some still cover themselves with thick sheets.
Now, it is the summer and the heatwave is not friendly. You should consider sleeping in lighter clothes – and, if possible, lose the cover sheets.
Remember that you are still trying to maintain comfort without having to pay the electricity bill through your nose. The typical temperature would be set between 16 and 20 degrees when you have your thick “P-jays” and sheet covers.
Now, you can manage to save some money by taking it up a few degrees and putting on lighter clothing.
Tip 3 – Meal Plans
At this point, you are probably rolling your eyes at this article but hold up, let’s look at the facts. Most of the heat generated in a household is created by cooking appliances and, of course, ovens.
The heat created by these appliances will require more energy than usual to keep the house cool. So it would help to reduce the use of your cooking appliances in the heat of the summer.
You could make adjustments to your meal plans and eat meals that require little or no cooking at all. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you would have to eat salads and veggies throughout the summer, but some adjustments have to be made to save costs.
Tip 4 – Oven Ventilators And Exhaust Fans
On days when you do cook, your oven ventilator should go all the way with you.
Whenever you cook, turn on the ventilators and keep it that way until you are done cooking. This should be the same for the washroom and shower, and your exhaust fans.
The main objective is to ensure that you are getting any form of extra heat out of your house.
Tip 5 – Cool Showers And Sundried Clothes
Having moisture in the air increases humidity which in turn increases the heat in the house. This affects you in two ways. First, you would feel hotter and feel the need to turn down the temperature to a cooler level. Also, increased humidity means your air conditioner has a lot more work to do now.
Both cases still result in the high priced bill you are trying to avoid. So, it would help to keep the air in your house as dry as possible.
Sun/air dry clothes when you can instead of always having to use the drier. Also, when you take baths, keep them cooler and shorter. This way you now have a minus one on the list of things that could be increasing the heat in your home.
Tip 6 – Blinds
Everybody loves the natural light that comes with the sun through their windows into the house. However, with this natural light comes the disadvantage of natural heat.
A good way to fight this is by keeping your blinds down whenever you are out of the house. Trying putting some money into getting high-quality blinds that can keep the windows covered and the sun out.
How To Find The Best Temperature For Everyone In The House
Earlier in this article, we mentioned 26 degrees Celsius as the recommended temperature to use in the summer to avoid bill issues. However, this is more of a generic than a specific recommendation.
Some people might not feel comfortable under this temperature, especially if the household isn’t used to having the temperature so high.
So, the big question now is, how do you find the best temperature that works for your household?
Well, there is a simple experiment that you can perform.
When everyone is home, set the thermostat a few degrees higher. Make sure the gap isn’t wide, keep it at about 1 or 2 degrees higher. It is most likely that no one will notice the change in temperature.
Continue to up the temperature by the same margin every 2 or 3 days. When you eventually get to the point where the changes start causing discomfort, you know that is the maximum. You can dial it down a little form there to get the best temperature that keeps everyone comfortable.
Be sure to take your mind off any number you feel should be the benchmark by other people’s standards. Keep your attention, instead, on how you are feeling.
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Conclusion
In a nutshell, you should never compromise when it comes to the comfort of you and your family.
In as much as you are looking to keep the bill at the bare minimum level, you should also put your health into consideration. However, by following the tips in this article, you should be waiving off about 20-25 percent of your energy bill.
Well, that is essentially all you need to know about air conditioning temperature in the summer, stay cool!
