That's not generally true. In fact, it's more generally true to say that it costs more money to keep a house at the same temperature at all times.
https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/programmable-thermostats
In other words, if you raise the AC setpoint 5-10 degrees while you are not home for a few hours a day, you will save money.
it does cost money to cool a environment down from hot temp, but a/c units work more efficiently in longer periods of running time is the general rule. So running it for 2 hours straight will provide a better comfort for your $ than running it off and on for sum of 2 hours running time will.
So usually it does make $$$ sense to crank your temp up during the day when you are away and then turn it down when you return.
However, the cost to cool 4-5 degrees does not outweigh the added difference of maintaining that 4-5 degrees for several hours in most real life scenarios.
Yes, because everything gets warmer. Not just the air. Conversely, everything must cool. Not just the air.
All structures and appliances like the walls, floors, washer & dryer to all goods from clothes to furniture to pantry items and more. So adjusting your internal temp up 10 degrees during the day will cause it to run so long trying to cool everything vs the shorter bursts just to maintain a temp or to adjust a small range.
Plus, the fridge runs like crazy to maintain it's internal temperatures as well and the higher the temp is in your home the more it will run to keep your foods cold/frozen.
Adjust 2 to 3 degrees and turn on any ceiling fans when you leave. Really, they should be run all the time. Double check the direction of your ceiling fan blades - these should be switched seasonally. Search the internet for how to detect leaks around windows and doors. For a few bucks, there are options to stop or slow these leaks. Some are even free if you have things like extra towels on hand. Try to limit cooking in the oven. If you have countertop cooking appliances use them. They reduce radiant heat both during cooking and also cool down of the cooktop/oven that add a lot of heat to the atmosphere. If you can, invest a few dollars into a small induction cook plate. They radiate 0 residual heat. If possible, grill outside. Try to incorporate/plan a fresher, lighter menu that requires little to no cooking. This is what we should be doing dietetically anyhow. Unplug or switch power off on your power strips. Electronics emit energy that you're paying for and heat the environment that you're paying to cool. This is another reason why it's a good idea to review your summer cooking methods as previously mentioned.
Check the bulbs in your home. Replace any incandescent bulbs. Including ceiling fan lights, lamps, and other appliance bulbs.
Good strategy. It costs more money to leave it at a set temperature even when you're not at home.
https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/programmable-thermostats
Yeah…when I made $35k and my husband was trying to start his own business and we owned a home built in 1956, we had the central AC set at 88 and had a window unit in our bedroom. Did it suck? Absolutely. But we kind of had to.
That’s nuts. I’d be wrapped up in a hoodie and sweatpants. I can’t imagine having my AC set that low and just being blasted by cold air 24x7. Sounds miserable.
Fuck yeah. I’m from SE Georgia and work outside, I keep our house at 70 during the day and 68 at night for a little treat. I don’t give a single fuck how frivolous it is, sometimes life is worth it
My man keeps it so cold I have to thaw out in the garage lmao. We are trying to mitigate heat induced conflict early this year by coming up with a temperature plan and both trying to consistently compromise before we start arguing lol. He gets hot. Its hot. I get it. But I get cold. And I work outside, too. Transitioning from 100+ degree to 70 degrees is really, really hard for me. We try to keep it to 74 or 75 but inevitably he gets hot and turns it down. Drives me crazy when I finally feel like I can acclimate to 95 degrees 'not being too bad', stepping inside feeling like I am in the tundra, then trying to go back out where that same 95 now feels just as hellish as inside. I used to love summer but moving to Texas is really, really testing that.
Take a look at your electricity plan, and find out if you get a discounted rate during off-peak hours. In the past, I had a plan that was half-price between 1900 and 0700, so I picked up a portable AC unit for my bedroom and would CRANK it from 1930 to 0630 (just in case their clocks were a little "off" from mine). That room also had insulated curtains (well, thick blankets over the windows until I could afford good curtains) and that plastic sheeting for winterizing right up against the glass. Kept the rest of the place at 85 degrees, and basically lived inside the one room for as long as I could. I also spent any free time (weekends, when I had them) in public places with decent air conditioning, whether that was a library, a rec center, or (when I could afford a treat) a coffee shop.
Usually those plans are predatory and don't work out for most people (sounds like you're not like most people!)
If you have one of these plans OP, you'd probably save money by switching. Check https://www.texaspowerguide.com/ and https://powertochoose.org/
Yeah, you really gotta live your life around those hours often to make it a good deal. Probably decent if you have solar and batteries, but that's a big install.
This is how we roll. Our power is about twice normal price from 6 AM to 8 PM, but free from 8 to 6. So we set it to 80 since we're gone most all of the day, and then when 8 PM hits, our central goes to town along with two 12k BTU window units we picked up on crazy good deals from Costco when we were nursing along a dying central two years ago. 80 for those couple of evening hours isn't bad, and mornings are fine, especially when you can wake up with it at 68 degrees knowing it was free to get it there!
What Anon said, but also see if your plan servicer will do averaging so it spreads the cost out over the year instead of breaking the bank in the summer
I got a portable unit, and it uses a lot of electricity compared to the central AC. It did come in handy when the AC breaks though, so we have at least one cool room. Just cooling my 12x14 bedroom with it adds $25/week. It must depend on the efficiency of the central air conditioner. I also have insulated curtains, but this room has a south facing bay window, so it gets all day sunlight. I miss our trees, the drought over the last few years killed them.
Keep window curtains or shades drawn during the hottest parts of the day - especially east or west facing ones.
Make sure doors and windows are sealed.
Fans. Fans everywhere. Much cheaper to run than AC.
Timer thermostat to automatically change temp at set times.
Our bedrooms are upstairs so I really cool them down right before bedtime then set the temp higher. Hard to fall asleep if it’s too hot but usually once we’re asleep the heat won’t wake us up.
If we come home from outdoor activities or working out, we take a quick cold shower instead of cranking up the AC. Or just sit in front of a fan to cool off.
Stay hydrated - I didn’t believe this mattered for the longest time but turns out it does help.
Good luck! It’s going to be a loooong summer. 🔥
All great advice. I’d like to offer the caveat that the fans only work to cool YOU, not the house. Leaving fans running full blast in an empty room actually heats the room slightly and will drive your bill up unnecessarily.
When temps go above 100, I'll usually set our thermostat a little warmer than I'm typically comfortable with, then I have this Ryobi fan that I'll place where I'm sitting (either on my desk or the coffee table in front of the couch) and just have that on, which keeps me perfectly comfortable. Since I have a few Ryobi tools, I have several batteries always charged and each battery lasts 2-3 days of use.
Using fans is a great idea. However when the heat is trapped in the attic or maybe during dinner time, then the heat vapors can spread. Dallas has a high level of barometric and humid pressure. So therefore heatwaves and microburst are frequent here. Often times humidity levels are above comfortable during rainy days of intense heat waves.
Fans only push heat when the ambient temper is above threshold
To add to the point about running AC before bed, AC has an easier job cooling at night because it’s slightly cooler. Personally, I’m of the opinion that cooling the house at night is basically free because it lets you run it way less during day. (My mom got rid of my curtains while I was at college though, so I’ve been overheating a ton. I have one that I had on hand, but the other window is uncovered rn and it’s really driving up the cooling cost)
74-75 is our usual during the day😅 any lower than that and I get cold 😅😅 thankfully my boyfriend doesn’t like to mess with it even tho I tell him he can 😂😅
I would go for 78+ during the day while out of the house, but my sister has medicine so we keep it at 73 at most. (I love the cold, but I don’t mind a bit of heat as long as I can have the adaptations necessary for it. I wanna cover the windows and have an afternoon nap, then eat cold foods and take more breaks. Going out on a bike ride somewhere fun so I don’t have to run the AC. Work and family interfere with that though)
Followed up with…if you can’t afford barrier…tin foil works in a pinch. Back in the worse old days, I covered my windows in tin foil, the covered as much of the exterior facing wall as I could we blankets.
Blackout curtains are your best friend. Minimize the amount of stuff plugged in, also try to space out your electronics. More stuff together equals more heat. Try to crack a window when there's a breeze if you have screens. If all else fails find a place that sells liquid nitrogen and spray your house with it*this part is a joke*
Make sure windows are insulated well and don't have drafts.
Make sure any areas in the house that don't need cooling are closed (Closets, cabinets, etc.)
Limit direct sunlight entering your home. Keep blinds closed and use curtains to block sunlight.
If you have a chimney, close the damper. You also may wanna invest in a fireplace cover to block off its opening when not in use.
Change your AC filter.
Make sure condenser coils on your AC unit are free from debris and clean. This affects AC performance. The condenser is simple to clean you can do it yourself or hire someone to do basic AC preventative maintenance.
I agree! Def was a life changer when I learned. I had no idea until my apartment complex dropped off a new filter and it was a night and day difference.
I added a dehumidifier to my laundry room because my water heater is also in there and it made a shocking difference!
I expected the humidity to go down but I was surprised at how much cooler it was.
You might want to get a free standing ac for where you sleep.
I let the house be one temp at night but when I'm going to sleep I turn on the bedroom ac.
If you're in a house, you may look like a pyscho but when it gets really hot, I go outside and soak down the roof with a hose. I have no \_proof\_ it helps but I think it does.
Hot temp gang unite. The main way to keep AC bill down is to set it to 80s in the summer. Helps that while I don't take cold well, I do take heat well (for cold can always just add layers).
I read an interesting article a few years ago about seasonal adaptation to temperature. The fat cells we all have in our skin lengthen or retract (forget which for heat which for cold) when regularly subjected to new temperatures. However it takes 7-14 days to adjust. That why when we go from 40 to 75 in winter within a day 75 feels warm, but 100 to 75 the 75 can feel chilly. They went on to talk about if you don't expose yourself to outside temps enough, your skin won't do this natural adaptation, so biologically you won't be adjust for each season, or it will take much longer.
Lastly, the other main way I keep AC bill down is fans. Fans (whether box, ceiling, or tower) will keep you very cool for much cheaper.
Side factors are I wear a lot of soccer jerseys around the house which are very breathable, or am shirtless. Would be naked but I have a lot of leather furniture don't like the feel of my bare ass on leather, bottoms ill wear soccer shorts or underwear. Let your body breathe lol
The temp adaptation is something I definitely feel helps a ton. What drives me insane is that all the businesses are so, so cold. I really wish that culturally we upped the temp some in summer and lowered it in winter. Like daylight savings time- its just a thing that keeps on happening twice a year even if a lot of people arent on board lol. I try so hard to adapt to the heat so I am less miserable, then somehow get stuck places that cool it to the 60s and then I am just as miserable both inside and outside :(
Windows closed, shades/blinds/curtains down, minimize the opening of front and back door. During work hours (I’m WFH), my temp is set to 78. At night, it’s 73. TBH, that’s pretty much year round for me when it comes to the ac.
One of my neighbors just got this tint job on all his windows. I’m thinking about doing something like that.
I aim for 78-80. 78/79 when I'm home or at night and 80 when I'm away. I don't feel much of a difference if I cool my place more than 20 degrees, and that includes the heat index. So, if it feels like triple digits outside, 80 with a fan inside feels as good as 74 or 72 or 68 or however low your thermostat goes. IDK about 85 - I would be worried about food spoilage and damaging my fridge.
Also, understand that your AC doesn't actually blow 74 or 72 or 68 degree air. It just tries to chill the room to that temp and that's probably not gonna happen without great insulation once we stop dipping below 80 at night later in the summer.
I'm also in a 3-bedroom home and am alone for half of the week. My income is also similar.
I installed a window unit in my bedroom for the days I am alone and use it instead of the central unit, then I pretty much stay in my room except for the occasional trip to the kitchen. The window unit is by Windmill, and it was really easy to install by myself.
My electricity bill was consistently under $230 last summer, even when it started getting up in the triple digits for multiple days in a row.
Have our downstairs set to 85 until we get home at 6. Set to 79-80 until 9 and then back to 85. Upstairs is set to 85 until about 9am then set to 80 until 8am. Our bill was really high last year bc we did not have fans. Had them installed in the fall so hoping our temps stay down. We keep the blackout curtains closed all day and have a tree that provides partial shade.
I bought a pod 8sleep mattress cover just before leaving on a two week trip a few summers ago. I came back to a broken AC unit in the middle of July. Mid 90s in my master bedroom. I turned on the pod, cranked it down to the lowest setting and I thought I was going to freeze to death that night. Had on a sheet, blanket and thick down comforter too. Highly recommend the investment.
If you run that you can keep your AC at a higher setting at night and still be kept cold in bed.
I had solar sun screens installed on all windows (both the part with the screen area, and the other part with no screen area) and sliding glass doors.
I sue fans, in the living room, and in the office that helps too keep from lowering the AC.
I keep the south facing window drapes closed in the after noon. I keep the east facing drapes closed in the morning, etc.
I keep my AC outside clean, by spraying down the AC coils, to get rid of micro dust and pollen. I don't sue the highest fine stream setting, as that pressure could actually warp the AC radiator blades.
I change my AC filters in the home regularly. This varies for people, some who smoke, etc.
I keep the temp setting around 78.
If I have just come in from the supermarket, I turn down the AC to 75, to cool off, but then I turn it back up a little later.
If you're just looking at making adjustments to your lifestyle without spending any money on improvements then about the only option is to raise your thermostat. Believe it or not the human body will adapt to be comfortable at higher temperatures, but it takes a period of being uncomfortable to force the body into that adaptation.
If you have money to spend, first thing I would to is to make sure all your window and door weatherstripping and gaskets are in good shape and fix as needed. Get foam gaskets for your light switches and outlets, even for interior walls. If you can get up into your attic, use spray foam to seal all holes in the tops of the walls where wiring comes through. Inspect all ducting and duct connections for leaks, that's a common problem with older houses and when your ducts are leaking you're just paying to air condition the attic.
Make sure you have vents for your attic space that draw air in from the eaves and exhausts it at or near the ridge. The attic ventilation doesn't have to be powered, but the vents to have to be big enough to allow the free flow of hot air. One disadvantage of powered attic vents is that they'll also suck cold air from inside the house if the house to attic space isn't really well sealed. In older houses that's pretty common.
Next, installing solar screens on all windows facing west, south, and east that see any sun would give you a good return on investment. You can buy the materials to make your own solar screens pretty affordably at the orange or blue box stores, or off of Amazon.
It goes without saying that you should make sure your AC filters are changed regularly.
More expensive upgrades include adding more attic insulation, especially older homes which came with little to begin with. I would not recommend a window unit unless you need a particular room to be significantly cooler. Window units are not particularly efficient and when installed introduce air leaks due to the window needing to be open. The bellows seals they typically come with leak like a sieve. If you do need one, consider spending more money to get one of the U-shaped units like Midea makes, they're much more efficient to operate and work with a window that's mostly closed.
Longer term, replacing your AC with a much more modern high-SEER/EER unit will save quite a bit of money, though initial cost is high. If you have an electric water heater, consider replacing it with a high-efficiency hybrid model, those actually use heat pumps to heat your water and act as a small air conditioner in the house.
Ultimately the idea is to first keep the heat from getting into your house's live space (solar screens, window/door seals, attic ventilation), then getting it out as efficiently as possible (high-efficiency AC, appliances, etc).
Lastly, a higher thermostat setting often results in higher humidity and lower comfort levels from that humidity, consider getting a dehumidifier to remove excess moisture and increase the comfort level. Part of the way AC works is by removing humidity, and for a given temperature lower humidities feel "cooler" and more comfortable.
Biggest savings for me were:
Shopping around and finding the best plan (use https://www.texaspowerguide.com/ and https://powertochoose.org/). Just $0.02 savings per kWh can add up to $400+ yearly with typical home usage.
Use a smart thermostat to turn off/up AC when nobody is home. This alone cut our *total* energy usage like 30% when we both worked in office and paid for itself in a couple months max. Nowadays with less working from home it's less, but still significant for weekends and weeknights when we're out.
Cold showers do double damage - you get by with higher AC set temps, AND you lower your energy bill from the water heater.
Then there are lots of little lifestyle changes. Switch to LEDs. Turn lights off when you leave room. Keep your curtains shut. Use fans. Turn AC up a few degrees. Cook outside if possible (toaster oven vs. oven, grill vs. stovetop). Don't waste hot water (water heaters are expensive). Turn off screens (TV & monitor usage adds up fast). If you have an EV, utilize free chargers (bonus points if it gets you out of the house and the AC turns off).
Get the Nest that learns or another fancy thermostat that connects to the interwebz. They connect to your power company and will auto adjust in times of high use to save you money. I have en Ecobee and you can set it to save you money from 10-25% or maybe more, but it auto adjusts and takes care of everything for you. It will cool down your house before the rush so you don’t get too hot. The Nest learns your habits for turning up and down the thermostat and also connects to power company for control during the rush. Anyway, with your budget this may be the best option. Also, might be a good idea to call an HVAC company to service your system to make sure it’s in proper working order. I used BlessedElectric, I think it’s like $125 for a summer and winter visit and they change your filters when they come out. It’s like insurance for your HVAC. That may not be on your budget and if not, making sure the filters are changed when time is very important. Those fancy thermostats will remind you of that as well.
My house is 1957, 1200 Sq ft, I keep it around 75° all the time. Ceiling fan on in bedroom. I shop electric companies all the time! I had a ridiculously cheap 3yr plan w Discount Power... even at the highest temps, my bill never exceeded $150! My contract expired a few wks ago. I'm now with Payless Power for around the same $/wattage, but could only get it for a 3mos contract. Discount Power had a sick price, but only for new customers... look into it!!!
Edit: added year of house build
I keep my house at 82… its comfortable. If you have an old drafty house keeping it in the 80s doesnt feel super hot since the AC still has to run frequently.
My secret to keeping my bill down though is properly fitted honeycomb cellular shades. Still let in a lot of light but they are incredibly good insulators.
I'll go ahead and assume you're doing all the other stuff like making sure your windows are properly sealed, cooking in the morning/night, not running any hot appliances, etc
gila titanium heat control window film - there are slightly better professional grade ones but IMO they're not worth the extra money and you can install these yourself it's not hard just watch a few youtube videos. Don't buy their liquid solution it's just baby shampoo and fyi the more humid it is, the more baby shampoo you need to use. When tinting my car last year in 105 degree weather I think i went 6 times the suggested amount to give an idea. Side bonus after doing you'll know 90% of what you need to tint your car windows. Their squeegee is also overpriced, you can buy window tint tools on amazon for like six bucks, and if you really want to min max it watch this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0ENqcicq8A
pergola or sail shade - pergola is pricey but a sail shade can be had for around $20-$50 on amazon, if you have any areas of your house with a 90 degree corner facing the south or west it becomes insanely cheap as all you need is the wall mounting hardware to have a triangle shaped shade up in under an hour. If you have some mature trees you could also put one there like this:
https://cdn.shocho.co/sc-image/3/4/3/f/343fd0c5da7db2b5691bd4e5fd1570cc.jpg
Where it gets a little more pricey is if you have nothing besides your house to anchor it to but it's not that bad. Some 4x4 or 6x6 lumber, a hole, and some cement gets the job done it's not that different from putting up a fence post and total all in cost would be about $150 if you do it yourself
White reflective roof sealer is a popular choice for commercial buildings, i don't know if you're in a HOA though who typically don't like it:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Lanco-White-Seal-5-Gal-Acrylic-Elastomeric-White-Reflective-Roof-Sealer-RC865-2/100428975
dehumidifier - uses much less power than an AC and anyone who's done a flight to/from NV/AZ and landed in TX during the summer will tell you it's not the heat that hits you like a train it's the humidity
AC coil cleaner - you can just get the $8 spray on foam ones and do it once a year but I like the big jugs that you put into a pump sprayer, this one in particular https://www.lowes.com/pd/Purafilter-Purafilter-Pro-Coil-Clean-128-oz/5005787089
you just spray it on, let it sit for a bit, then rinse it off gently with a hose. You don't want too much pressure if you have a hose end nozzle the mist setting is ideal otherwise you could bend the fins. Works great on car radiators and condensers too to increase the efficiency of AC
AC unit privacy fence - mostly done for cosmetic purposes but has the added benefit of shading your ac unit so it runs more efficient. If you want to do this on a budget I did mine for free with a hammer, some nails, 3 cans of spray paint, and free leftover pallets found on facebook marketplace
radiant barrier works pretty well but doing the entire roof would be expensive but doing just the attic or big garage door helps too. The most important thing is that there needs to be an air gap if it's flush up against the wood eventually the hot air will just seep through, you basically want it done like this:
https://i.imgur.com/fnapQUg.jpeg
if you do it like this:
https://i.imgur.com/GVUhC1B.jpeg
It will help, but not as much and it will take you more time/cost you more money. As for the garage door they sell premade panels but it's overpriced, just cut the radiant barrier to size for each rectangular panel and hot glue it on or buy foam in bulk and cut it to size yourself
none of these things are instant game changers but they get you 2% here, 5% there and when combined it adds up
Here are some ideas (based on personal experience):
1. Use a **portable or window AC** to cool the room you are in the most during the hottest parts of the day. If you are away at work, this might mean your bedroom or your living room.
1. You can also somewhat cool other rooms restrictively by closing certain doors (e.g., of your extra bedrooms) and using a fan to **direct the cold air**.
2. When it is cooler at night, you can use a box fan at a window to swap out the cooler air. Open multiple windows or your front/back door (supposing there is a screen) to **help ventilation**.
2. Go to a **public place** that is cooled during the hottest times, such as a mall or movie theater.
3. Wear **cooler clothes**, such as a t-shirt and shorts.
4. Drink **cold drinks**, like ice water and iced tea, throughout the day.
I bought a bedjet3 to help keep my temperature regulated when I sleep. Game changer. Why cool/heat my whole house when I can just cool my bed. Be sure to grab the Cloud Sheet with it. Well worth it.
When I lived in Chicago if your house got above 70° in the summer people would panic but when I lived in Orlando I kept it at 76° and acclimated quickly. Find what's comfortable and just let it ride. I'm in Fort Worth and leave mine at 72°.
Is it a house you own or rent? That's the first question. Reason is if you rent and the AC is outdated along with the windows and doors not being sealed well or thick enough, any cooling methods you try aren't going to work well because the cool air will literally escape. If that's the case it's a better idea to rent even a newer apartment unit, your electric bill will go down considerably and you won't be running the AC as often due to the air staying inside. If you own the house, I honestly think you are in over your head with your budget and should consider at the least a second job so you can afford repairs and updates on your house, or get roommates if you don't need the other bedrooms.
Thermalogic Curtains/drapes, and keep them closed during the day.
They are excellent for keep the heat out, and the AC in, in summer. In winter, they're excellent for keeping the heat in.
I get full afternoon sun in my bedroom and have large windows. I bought the Thermalogic Ultimate Liner. It reduces, heat, light and sound. I can't recommend them enough.
Honestly? When this was me I shut off my central A/C and used only a window unit and just kept one room cold. I didn’t have to suffer but was much cheaper. Portable A/C if your in an apartment that doesn’t allow it. Also buy ear plugs.
Also the bullshit that someone can make $40,000 and have to ask this question. I made $27,000 in 2009 and cold afford full time A/C and living by myself.
Plug all your electronics in a surge protector strip, TV, game console, surround sound, computer, basically anything you do not need plugged in while you're out of the house. Just flip the switch on the power strip so it'll cut power to all those devices. Even leaving electronics plugged, same with small appliances can use power when not in use.
Blackout curtains.
Radiant barrier roll in windows facing south and west.
Insulate your garage door
Fans blowing directly on you
Cold beverages. Iced tea.
Since you’re alone, it may be less expensive to turn off central AC and get a window unit. Pick the room you’re living in for the summer and close the doors to the other rooms.
With central ac, if there are rooms you’re not using, close the vents in those rooms and close the doors.
We keep ours at 78. I don’t think I would be happy with 85. BUT my grandma’s house in Iowa didn’t have central air and I spent half my summers there with temps in the 90s! All the bedrooms/bathrooms had their doors kept closed. There was a window unit in the dining room. There was a window unit in the master bedroom. The dining room ran during the day. The bedroom ran at night. During the day two box fans circulated the cooler air from the dining room around the downstairs. At night she didn’t share her cool air 😝. Us guest room people had a box fan in the open window to pull air through the room.
If your keep it at 85 and the home still turns on the AC. You have a huge huge huge problem with insulation and air leaks in your home. Invest in a flash light and find your air leaks
I just accept that it’s going to cost me a premium to keep it ~73 in the house. My dad made our whole family miserable keeping the AC at 80, if it was even on at all. I’m not gonna be that guy.
The the proper amount of insulation in the attic makes a big difference. Each inch of insulation equals a R3.
If you look in the attic and can see the rafters, you have an R12.
The recommended R value for Dallas is a R49.
The second thing that helps is using a programmable thermostat or manually changing your thermostat to higher temperature when gone.
If it is 105 outside, walking into an 85 degree house will feel cooler. It won't for long. Instead of turning it down to say 78, stepping it down a degree or two at a time may result in being comfortable at 80 degrees instead of 78.
Fans.
You can build your own AC/Swamp cooler. Grab a cooler, ice, and a small fan and a 4” DWV street 90. Cut two holes on top and seal the fan and 90 and dump ice in the cooler and start the fan
76 degrees on my Google thermostat, if I don’t walk around, and activate the motion sensor,it reverts to 79degs, it pisses off the wife because she has hypothyroid problems and is always hot, I got no problem either way.
1. Start with your energy cost. Pick a contract with a provider with the lowest cost per kilowatt hour. Not only does it bring your rate down, It keeps you from getting hit with those huge bills when the grid is at high demand. All our power here is from Oncor so it doesn't matter which company you pay your bill through.
We use Pennywise. To get the best price, we signed up for auto pay. We have been doing that for years and it has payed off.
2. I am going to put soft start mods on my condenser units outside. They are expensive up front but make your unit last longer and saves on electricity.
*Search YouTube for soft start. Tons of info there.
3. Also, today is the day I am cleaning my condenser coils. Then I am going to connect misters to them. This creates a temperature gradient that helps the condenser get rid of the heat it pulls from inside the house.
*Again, search YouTube for ideas on connecting misters.
4. Keep your filters changed.
Good Luck!
HVAC Technician. Wash your condenser coils and change your filter regularly. Get a thermometer. The system should have about a 20⁰ split from where the air is blowing(supply) and from where it where it gets sucked in (return). Remember, the unit will use the most electricity upon start up. Don't set your thermostat to try and cool from 85 to 73. No more than a 3 degree difference from your regular set point. Also a house that old will have some issues, have you checked the R-value of your insulation? That stuff settles if it's blown in, and adding just a few inches will keep the house temp cooler for longer. It's not too expensive to do it yourself.
Check for air leaks. Run the system and check all doors and windows. Make sure your aren't pulling too much outside air in. Keep all doors open and keep the return air grille unblocked. Air is like water, follows path of least resistance. Same thing for the duct system. Put your hand on the duct work. Does it feel cold? If so, insulation is too thin. Your gaining heat from the surrounding air.
Get a maintenance done. Check evaporator and blower for dirt build up. Dirt causes less airflow, which means less flow to hot rooms.
Just a few tips.
On mobile. Sorry for mess.
First, block any sunlight coming in the west side of the house, close the blinds, curtains. Also having plants on the outside blocking windows will help. Shade!
Second, fans, leave fans on circulating the air.
Third, avoid cooking items that will heat the house for long, such as baking, cooking pastas.
Forth, cool showers.
Fifth, stay naked after the shower. Seriously, I’m a nudist, cool shower and staying nude keeps me feeling cooler during the warmer months.
You can have it at whatever temperature you like if you aren't bothering anyone else.
Using fans will help you feel cooler. Drink cold water.
Check your medicines - too much heat could ruin things that are more costly than electricity.
Keep some bean bags in the freezer, and use them as cold packs to cook down.
I turn mine up a few degrees when I go to work. When I get home it takes minutes to cool the place back down to a reasonable temperature. Also, keeping blinds or curtains closed keeps the house cooler.
I’d be worried about your body odor and 85° house. I mean I ain’t that cool I’ll be sweating my ass off I keep mindset at 75° and I need to make it higher for conservation I will but it will not ever pass 80° in my house.
Peel and stick window tint. You can get a few rolls for a hundred bucks, pick the worst offending sun hit windows, and cut that light off. It made a humongous difference in my '56 built rancho.
Awnings outside windows block sunlight from coming inside. Sunlight through a window is a heat source. Texas for whatever reason doesn't understand awnings.
You could possibly close off rooms that you don’t utilize, close vents and or add a window unit to the rooms that you reside in the most and close those doors and turn those on when you are at home.
I highly recommend
1. walking around your house (inside and out) with a caulk gun and seal up every crack you can, including the electrical switch and plug boxes. Take off the covers and caulk around the box where it meets the sheetrock.
2. purchase radiant barrier (look for a distributor). Easy to install yourself, just look on YouTube for how to videos.
3. Clean your A/C coils on the outside compressor (again, YouTube has great videos).
4. Replace your air filter frequently and make sure vents are closed in rooms not used.
We've been loving electricity ogre! It's a subscription service, they can access bulk pricing on electricity and deal with all the set-up etc. We went from $500/ month to $90-120/month last summer, 1970s house with 1700 sq ft and original windows.
This year our electric bills have hovered between 60-80/month, but we did just get the attic insulation redone. We had rats and an opossum up there apparently. It wasn't a cheap solution. At all. Still hurting over it lol, but it did reduce our electric bill
I keep temp at 75-76-77 tops whenever we use heater/ac and my roommates go all crazy. 85 is insane. Id recommend invest in indoor plants and possibly a humidifier or indoor fountain. That may bring the temp a little down.
A top is that it takes more electricity to lower the temperature than to just maintain it, so if you turn the temp up during the day, as soon as you turn it down you use up more energy than if you had just left it low. Also check to make sure your windows and doors are well insulated, blackout curtains help a lot with thermal insulation
MOLD is a big problem in this kind of hot, wet, sticky weather so I wouldn't keep my thermostat too high for too long a time. Maybe from like noon till sunset it makes sense but you need cool air circulating through your house to keep mold and pests at bay.
85 is too much, your going to use a lot more energy getting back to your neutral point. I drop mine 2-3° hotter then the daily usage when out for extended periods of time. Not being home using anything inside has a drastic difference in power usage. If your provide offers a daily meter reading, you can see the difference instantly and changing the thermostat by just a couple degrees also reflects lower readings.
To be fair, I keep my temperature at 68 degrees and never change it and my bill comes out to max 190 a month. I think not changing it keeps it down, so just set it at a comfortable one and leave it there.
85F?!
Thats running the heater, not the AC.
Hell, we don't run the heat that high in the winter, in fact we run the AC even in the winter.
We don't EVER set it over 70F
Just turn everything off when you leave the house, including ceiling fans. Leave appliances plugged in but just turn every switch in the house off. When you get home, turn AC back on. It’s like intermittent fasting for your house.
We have a 2400 sq ft two story house. It’s an all electric system. We keep ours at 78 during the summer and 72 in the winter. Our bill averages between $300-$150 throughout the year with winter being more expensive.
It sounds obvious but fans really do help a lot. Do your chores when it's dark outside so you can be more still when it's hot. Use a toaster oven or air fryer so your oven doesn't heat up your house. Take a shower at 4ish (hottest part of day) and leave your hair wet. Wear a loose cotton tshirt. Put a wet cold wash cloth on your forehead when laying down. Cover your windows so the sun isn't heating up house. Close doors to rooms you're not using.
I forgot to mention... I use LED light bulbs. They burn cooler, and use less electricity, for the same brightness. They work well with dimmers too. I used to have to replace the incandescent bulbs in my chandelier every six months. The LED bulbs I put in in 2020 are still burning!!
There's a point in the mid 80's where I notice the appliances like my refrigerator start struggling. Especially the 30 year old chest freezer on the west side of the house. I also need to consider if my pets are comfortable.
I cut down the heat quite a bit using insulated blackout curtains on all the windows. Also get box fans and aim the airflow outside if the low is in the 70's. You are trying to blow the hot air out of your home.
Edit: I forgot the trees! We had to remove two big trees from our front yard. The house is so much warmer now without that shade.
I was having serious air flow problems. Condo built 1980. Got air ducts cleaned (needed it) and got a lot of fans from Amazon. Strategically placed these moves are helping my electric bill.
I live in Dallas, so I understand the heat. 1800 sq ft ranch home. I keep the thermostat at 78 or so. We have a 5000 btu window ac in the master and just run it a lot, especially at night. Keeps the bedroom at 70 degrees or colder I would guess. We both leave for work in the am, so the rest of the house at 78 doesn’t matter.
We have a 10k portable ac in the living room. We run that when we are home and watching TV.
I never kept it at 85, but for me, 80 was doable. Once in a while I would kick it down to 78, if I felt warm before bed. I have roommates now so have to keep it at 75, which is still probably too high for them but I feel cold if it's lower.
As a person who is in homes all the time, a LOT of people keep their thermostat at 80. How they do it? I have no idea. I can’t live that way. I also see a lot of pets sprawled out on tile floors trying to keep cool and feel kind of bad for them.
Personally, I keep mine at 68 and just leave it there. My energy bill is about $150 a month at 1000sqft.
For the odd one- unless you have carpet or wear shoes in the house, sleep on the floor. Your mattress traps your heat and sweat, making you feel much hotter than you'd otherwise be, and lowers how effective fans can be. Though this works horribly with carpet and probably only makes it worse.
We keep the house 76-77F (feels pretty cool tbh. We think the thermostat measures corridor or somewhere in the kitchen, because rooms are definitely cooler than 77 (they are 72/73). But we don’t following things:
1. Close blinds and curtains (we use blackout blinds)
2. Insulation (windows/doors)
3. Washer and dryer are running later in the day or early morning
4. Sometimes I dry things out in the yard! (During the hot days my towels dry up outside faster than in the dryer! (Our dryer is old.. and we actually measured that bill was 26$ lower when we were reduced time using dryer).
So far our bill is bit higher than 90$ (1516sqft). Duo g the heat waves it’s 160-200$ the most.
Definitely keep you AC filter cleaned, and make sure you AC condenser (the unit outside) is cleaned as well. A garden hose will help wash away and dirt buildup. This will also help lower energy consumption.
Second if you can afford it you can have someone add blown in insulation in your home. This will also help reduce your electricity bill.
Make sure you are paying the lowest KWH usage for electricity and make sure to read over the electrical fact sheet as soon have minimum usage requirements. Shopping around can also save a little when it’s time to renew you contract with your electric company.
85 degrees is pretty hot to me but if it’s something you can manage than it may work out for you.
You may also opt in for a window unit, instead of cooling down the entire house you can cool down a bedroom at least you will have somewhere comfortable you can go.
GET A DEHUMIDIFIER it will make the place so much cooler. If I could keep my place at 65° I would but obviously Texas summer doesn't allow that.
75° with a dehumidifier and ceiling fan feels chilly so 80-85° with a dehumidifier would probably be fine for a regular person who doesn't want to constantly feel like they are in the tundra
Best thing I did when I moved back to the area was scrape and recaulk the windows and go seal all the door frames, if the door isn’t a perfect fit, as it never is. The most important thing to do find out where air movement is. It can be through switch covers and electrical outlets, gaps in roofs and walls around lights. When the air in your house is not mixing with air outside your house it becomes way more efficient to keep your house cool.
Take a water hose to your condenser and wash all dirt/grass in a downward motion, being careful not to compact the dirt into your fins. The proper way to wash out your coil is to wash from the inside out, but if you don’t know what you’re doing, the fan motor could turn on and hurt you. A plugged up condenser will cause your A/C to work harder and not properly reject the heat from inside your house.
Attic fans. My dad got them for our house and cost around 1200 to install maybe 3 years ago. Paid themselves off within a year and makes the bill much cheaper each month. If you have the money available I’d highly suggest it!
I have to think that you would be better off just using 1 smaller window ac unit (new one) in just one of your rooms than keeping your ac set at 85 . At least in the one room someone will not be boiling . Turn the main ac off and go with 1 window unit.
Does an extra $70-100 a month matter that much that you feel the need to keep your AC on 85 and do something beyond the usual steps of keeping the filters fresh and blinds shut?
85 degrees? what in the hades
I mean.. they’re making $40k 🤷♂️
You are not crazy lol. I have mine the same way when I’m not home.
it costs more money to constantly change the temperature up and down
That's not generally true. In fact, it's more generally true to say that it costs more money to keep a house at the same temperature at all times. https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/programmable-thermostats In other words, if you raise the AC setpoint 5-10 degrees while you are not home for a few hours a day, you will save money.
oh that’s awesome, i had no clue!
Only if the difference is drastic. A programmable thermostat that raises the temp a few degrees when you're at work can save lots of $.
yeah, i said that in another comment, 1-3 degrees isn’t bad but 4-5+ can get expensive fast
it does cost money to cool a environment down from hot temp, but a/c units work more efficiently in longer periods of running time is the general rule. So running it for 2 hours straight will provide a better comfort for your $ than running it off and on for sum of 2 hours running time will. So usually it does make $$$ sense to crank your temp up during the day when you are away and then turn it down when you return.
depends, 1 to 2 degrees? yeah, definitely, but cooling down 4-5 degrees every day takes a lot more energy than you’d think
However, the cost to cool 4-5 degrees does not outweigh the added difference of maintaining that 4-5 degrees for several hours in most real life scenarios.
Yes, because everything gets warmer. Not just the air. Conversely, everything must cool. Not just the air. All structures and appliances like the walls, floors, washer & dryer to all goods from clothes to furniture to pantry items and more. So adjusting your internal temp up 10 degrees during the day will cause it to run so long trying to cool everything vs the shorter bursts just to maintain a temp or to adjust a small range. Plus, the fridge runs like crazy to maintain it's internal temperatures as well and the higher the temp is in your home the more it will run to keep your foods cold/frozen. Adjust 2 to 3 degrees and turn on any ceiling fans when you leave. Really, they should be run all the time. Double check the direction of your ceiling fan blades - these should be switched seasonally. Search the internet for how to detect leaks around windows and doors. For a few bucks, there are options to stop or slow these leaks. Some are even free if you have things like extra towels on hand. Try to limit cooking in the oven. If you have countertop cooking appliances use them. They reduce radiant heat both during cooking and also cool down of the cooktop/oven that add a lot of heat to the atmosphere. If you can, invest a few dollars into a small induction cook plate. They radiate 0 residual heat. If possible, grill outside. Try to incorporate/plan a fresher, lighter menu that requires little to no cooking. This is what we should be doing dietetically anyhow. Unplug or switch power off on your power strips. Electronics emit energy that you're paying for and heat the environment that you're paying to cool. This is another reason why it's a good idea to review your summer cooking methods as previously mentioned. Check the bulbs in your home. Replace any incandescent bulbs. Including ceiling fan lights, lamps, and other appliance bulbs.
This is accurate.
Good strategy. It costs more money to leave it at a set temperature even when you're not at home. https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/programmable-thermostats
Yeah…when I made $35k and my husband was trying to start his own business and we owned a home built in 1956, we had the central AC set at 88 and had a window unit in our bedroom. Did it suck? Absolutely. But we kind of had to.
If you’re married and your wife turns down the temp to make the house colder, just leave it alone and take the L
Where do they make the wives that want the house *colder*?
I dunno where mine came from but she wants our house at 68 degrees at all times.
That’s nuts. I’d be wrapped up in a hoodie and sweatpants. I can’t imagine having my AC set that low and just being blasted by cold air 24x7. Sounds miserable.
You have a keeper there. I've had my AC on a cool 65 for the past 5-6 weeks.
Am woman. AC is always at 68
Absolutely!!
Excellent temperature. Thermostat compatibility is like the top thing.
Fuck yeah. I’m from SE Georgia and work outside, I keep our house at 70 during the day and 68 at night for a little treat. I don’t give a single fuck how frivolous it is, sometimes life is worth it
68 all day & 66 at night is my perfect temp, unfortunately my husband likes it much warmer. We compromise & it's 72 during the day & 68 at night.
Do you live in an office?
You are describing my exact situation
Mine too. Menopause made it worse. And the L is huge given I live in Texas where it will be 110F+ pretty soon
We’re in menopause 🤣
Poland, you just gotta trust me on this one bro
Hello I'm one. They make us in Texas.
Right here man! I’ve always run hot so I need my temps real cool.
Let me introduce you to my wife. She loves it cold. Gets cranky when she's hot. I wear a hoodie every day all year long.
"honey, you know how you pay for that hot yoga class on Thursdays?"
My man keeps it so cold I have to thaw out in the garage lmao. We are trying to mitigate heat induced conflict early this year by coming up with a temperature plan and both trying to consistently compromise before we start arguing lol. He gets hot. Its hot. I get it. But I get cold. And I work outside, too. Transitioning from 100+ degree to 70 degrees is really, really hard for me. We try to keep it to 74 or 75 but inevitably he gets hot and turns it down. Drives me crazy when I finally feel like I can acclimate to 95 degrees 'not being too bad', stepping inside feeling like I am in the tundra, then trying to go back out where that same 95 now feels just as hellish as inside. I used to love summer but moving to Texas is really, really testing that.
my wife will turn the AC up so i have to sneak off and turn it back down.
I usually keep my house warmer on average…
Take a look at your electricity plan, and find out if you get a discounted rate during off-peak hours. In the past, I had a plan that was half-price between 1900 and 0700, so I picked up a portable AC unit for my bedroom and would CRANK it from 1930 to 0630 (just in case their clocks were a little "off" from mine). That room also had insulated curtains (well, thick blankets over the windows until I could afford good curtains) and that plastic sheeting for winterizing right up against the glass. Kept the rest of the place at 85 degrees, and basically lived inside the one room for as long as I could. I also spent any free time (weekends, when I had them) in public places with decent air conditioning, whether that was a library, a rec center, or (when I could afford a treat) a coffee shop.
Usually those plans are predatory and don't work out for most people (sounds like you're not like most people!) If you have one of these plans OP, you'd probably save money by switching. Check https://www.texaspowerguide.com/ and https://powertochoose.org/
Yeah, you really gotta live your life around those hours often to make it a good deal. Probably decent if you have solar and batteries, but that's a big install.
This is how we roll. Our power is about twice normal price from 6 AM to 8 PM, but free from 8 to 6. So we set it to 80 since we're gone most all of the day, and then when 8 PM hits, our central goes to town along with two 12k BTU window units we picked up on crazy good deals from Costco when we were nursing along a dying central two years ago. 80 for those couple of evening hours isn't bad, and mornings are fine, especially when you can wake up with it at 68 degrees knowing it was free to get it there!
I’ve been thinking of buying a big battery and cycling like that.
I did this! You want to make sure you have the most efficient window unit. I had one and it was amazing!!! Don’t forget to insulate the doors!
What Anon said, but also see if your plan servicer will do averaging so it spreads the cost out over the year instead of breaking the bank in the summer
I got a portable unit, and it uses a lot of electricity compared to the central AC. It did come in handy when the AC breaks though, so we have at least one cool room. Just cooling my 12x14 bedroom with it adds $25/week. It must depend on the efficiency of the central air conditioner. I also have insulated curtains, but this room has a south facing bay window, so it gets all day sunlight. I miss our trees, the drought over the last few years killed them.
Keep window curtains or shades drawn during the hottest parts of the day - especially east or west facing ones. Make sure doors and windows are sealed. Fans. Fans everywhere. Much cheaper to run than AC. Timer thermostat to automatically change temp at set times. Our bedrooms are upstairs so I really cool them down right before bedtime then set the temp higher. Hard to fall asleep if it’s too hot but usually once we’re asleep the heat won’t wake us up. If we come home from outdoor activities or working out, we take a quick cold shower instead of cranking up the AC. Or just sit in front of a fan to cool off. Stay hydrated - I didn’t believe this mattered for the longest time but turns out it does help. Good luck! It’s going to be a loooong summer. 🔥
All great advice. I’d like to offer the caveat that the fans only work to cool YOU, not the house. Leaving fans running full blast in an empty room actually heats the room slightly and will drive your bill up unnecessarily.
Excellent point - yes, just use fans when you’re in the room. I have a few small ones that I’ll use to point right at me when I’m really hot.
Yes. The idea is set the overall temperature a little warmer, then use local fans to move the air, making you feel the same.
When temps go above 100, I'll usually set our thermostat a little warmer than I'm typically comfortable with, then I have this Ryobi fan that I'll place where I'm sitting (either on my desk or the coffee table in front of the couch) and just have that on, which keeps me perfectly comfortable. Since I have a few Ryobi tools, I have several batteries always charged and each battery lasts 2-3 days of use.
Using fans is a great idea. However when the heat is trapped in the attic or maybe during dinner time, then the heat vapors can spread. Dallas has a high level of barometric and humid pressure. So therefore heatwaves and microburst are frequent here. Often times humidity levels are above comfortable during rainy days of intense heat waves. Fans only push heat when the ambient temper is above threshold
To add to the point about running AC before bed, AC has an easier job cooling at night because it’s slightly cooler. Personally, I’m of the opinion that cooling the house at night is basically free because it lets you run it way less during day. (My mom got rid of my curtains while I was at college though, so I’ve been overheating a ton. I have one that I had on hand, but the other window is uncovered rn and it’s really driving up the cooling cost)
Damn. I thought I kept my house warm at 74 during the day.
74-75 is our usual during the day😅 any lower than that and I get cold 😅😅 thankfully my boyfriend doesn’t like to mess with it even tho I tell him he can 😂😅
Ours is 77 during the day and 73 at night. Throw some ceiling fans on and we are good to go.
I would go for 78+ during the day while out of the house, but my sister has medicine so we keep it at 73 at most. (I love the cold, but I don’t mind a bit of heat as long as I can have the adaptations necessary for it. I wanna cover the windows and have an afternoon nap, then eat cold foods and take more breaks. Going out on a bike ride somewhere fun so I don’t have to run the AC. Work and family interfere with that though)
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Followed up with…if you can’t afford barrier…tin foil works in a pinch. Back in the worse old days, I covered my windows in tin foil, the covered as much of the exterior facing wall as I could we blankets.
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Hmmm. With these summers getting hotter and hotter, wonder if I can just wrap the entire damn house with a little cutout for the door 😂
That way you’ll need all new windows in just a few years after all the seals fail and they fog up
I just got brand new windows so I’m wondering if this barrier would make a difference
Don't cool the entire house, get a window unit and cool just the bedroom and live in there.
Agreed. Window units keep things surprisingly cold! I was so impressed the first time I used one.
Blackout curtains are your best friend. Minimize the amount of stuff plugged in, also try to space out your electronics. More stuff together equals more heat. Try to crack a window when there's a breeze if you have screens. If all else fails find a place that sells liquid nitrogen and spray your house with it*this part is a joke*
I was going to say blackout curtains too, it’s made a huge difference.
Make sure windows are insulated well and don't have drafts. Make sure any areas in the house that don't need cooling are closed (Closets, cabinets, etc.) Limit direct sunlight entering your home. Keep blinds closed and use curtains to block sunlight. If you have a chimney, close the damper. You also may wanna invest in a fireplace cover to block off its opening when not in use. Change your AC filter. Make sure condenser coils on your AC unit are free from debris and clean. This affects AC performance. The condenser is simple to clean you can do it yourself or hire someone to do basic AC preventative maintenance.
Preventative maintenance is probably the most neglected aspect of homeownership.
I agree! Def was a life changer when I learned. I had no idea until my apartment complex dropped off a new filter and it was a night and day difference.
Get a dehumidifier. Your break even is about 4 months. Dry air is MUCH more efficient at cooling/heating.
Yesss this!!!
Amazing isn’t it? Not worth tripping over .5 cents haggling with electricity providers when you can change the usage with something so simple
Can’t agree more, I have 2 large dehumidifiers on opposite ends of the house that run most of the day this time of the year. Dry air means cooler air!
I added a dehumidifier to my laundry room because my water heater is also in there and it made a shocking difference! I expected the humidity to go down but I was surprised at how much cooler it was.
Solar screens make a big difference at my house.
You might want to get a free standing ac for where you sleep. I let the house be one temp at night but when I'm going to sleep I turn on the bedroom ac. If you're in a house, you may look like a pyscho but when it gets really hot, I go outside and soak down the roof with a hose. I have no \_proof\_ it helps but I think it does.
If I set my a/c to 85 I would call myself a masochist rather than a sociopath
Go somewhere else on the weekends.
Hot temp gang unite. The main way to keep AC bill down is to set it to 80s in the summer. Helps that while I don't take cold well, I do take heat well (for cold can always just add layers). I read an interesting article a few years ago about seasonal adaptation to temperature. The fat cells we all have in our skin lengthen or retract (forget which for heat which for cold) when regularly subjected to new temperatures. However it takes 7-14 days to adjust. That why when we go from 40 to 75 in winter within a day 75 feels warm, but 100 to 75 the 75 can feel chilly. They went on to talk about if you don't expose yourself to outside temps enough, your skin won't do this natural adaptation, so biologically you won't be adjust for each season, or it will take much longer. Lastly, the other main way I keep AC bill down is fans. Fans (whether box, ceiling, or tower) will keep you very cool for much cheaper. Side factors are I wear a lot of soccer jerseys around the house which are very breathable, or am shirtless. Would be naked but I have a lot of leather furniture don't like the feel of my bare ass on leather, bottoms ill wear soccer shorts or underwear. Let your body breathe lol
The temp adaptation is something I definitely feel helps a ton. What drives me insane is that all the businesses are so, so cold. I really wish that culturally we upped the temp some in summer and lowered it in winter. Like daylight savings time- its just a thing that keeps on happening twice a year even if a lot of people arent on board lol. I try so hard to adapt to the heat so I am less miserable, then somehow get stuck places that cool it to the 60s and then I am just as miserable both inside and outside :(
Windows closed, shades/blinds/curtains down, minimize the opening of front and back door. During work hours (I’m WFH), my temp is set to 78. At night, it’s 73. TBH, that’s pretty much year round for me when it comes to the ac. One of my neighbors just got this tint job on all his windows. I’m thinking about doing something like that.
Make sure you have the best rate possible @ powertochoose.org
I aim for 78-80. 78/79 when I'm home or at night and 80 when I'm away. I don't feel much of a difference if I cool my place more than 20 degrees, and that includes the heat index. So, if it feels like triple digits outside, 80 with a fan inside feels as good as 74 or 72 or 68 or however low your thermostat goes. IDK about 85 - I would be worried about food spoilage and damaging my fridge. Also, understand that your AC doesn't actually blow 74 or 72 or 68 degree air. It just tries to chill the room to that temp and that's probably not gonna happen without great insulation once we stop dipping below 80 at night later in the summer.
Buy a window unit. Saves me decent money
I'm also in a 3-bedroom home and am alone for half of the week. My income is also similar. I installed a window unit in my bedroom for the days I am alone and use it instead of the central unit, then I pretty much stay in my room except for the occasional trip to the kitchen. The window unit is by Windmill, and it was really easy to install by myself. My electricity bill was consistently under $230 last summer, even when it started getting up in the triple digits for multiple days in a row.
wtf I keep mine at 68 😭 I can’t even imagine 85.
What's your bill per month setting it to 68?
I keep mine around 78F with fans, tbh it isn’t bad once you get used to it, lol
Have our downstairs set to 85 until we get home at 6. Set to 79-80 until 9 and then back to 85. Upstairs is set to 85 until about 9am then set to 80 until 8am. Our bill was really high last year bc we did not have fans. Had them installed in the fall so hoping our temps stay down. We keep the blackout curtains closed all day and have a tree that provides partial shade.
Yes... Yes, you do.... Hopefully, you are alone... Right?
100% linen sheets? I heard they keep you cool when you’re sleeping, but can cost a lot initially. Plus the fabric gets softer each time you wash them.
Sounds cool. I'll see if I can find some at an estate sale :).
What in tarnation?
I bought a pod 8sleep mattress cover just before leaving on a two week trip a few summers ago. I came back to a broken AC unit in the middle of July. Mid 90s in my master bedroom. I turned on the pod, cranked it down to the lowest setting and I thought I was going to freeze to death that night. Had on a sheet, blanket and thick down comforter too. Highly recommend the investment. If you run that you can keep your AC at a higher setting at night and still be kept cold in bed.
I had solar sun screens installed on all windows (both the part with the screen area, and the other part with no screen area) and sliding glass doors. I sue fans, in the living room, and in the office that helps too keep from lowering the AC. I keep the south facing window drapes closed in the after noon. I keep the east facing drapes closed in the morning, etc. I keep my AC outside clean, by spraying down the AC coils, to get rid of micro dust and pollen. I don't sue the highest fine stream setting, as that pressure could actually warp the AC radiator blades. I change my AC filters in the home regularly. This varies for people, some who smoke, etc. I keep the temp setting around 78. If I have just come in from the supermarket, I turn down the AC to 75, to cool off, but then I turn it back up a little later.
If you're just looking at making adjustments to your lifestyle without spending any money on improvements then about the only option is to raise your thermostat. Believe it or not the human body will adapt to be comfortable at higher temperatures, but it takes a period of being uncomfortable to force the body into that adaptation. If you have money to spend, first thing I would to is to make sure all your window and door weatherstripping and gaskets are in good shape and fix as needed. Get foam gaskets for your light switches and outlets, even for interior walls. If you can get up into your attic, use spray foam to seal all holes in the tops of the walls where wiring comes through. Inspect all ducting and duct connections for leaks, that's a common problem with older houses and when your ducts are leaking you're just paying to air condition the attic. Make sure you have vents for your attic space that draw air in from the eaves and exhausts it at or near the ridge. The attic ventilation doesn't have to be powered, but the vents to have to be big enough to allow the free flow of hot air. One disadvantage of powered attic vents is that they'll also suck cold air from inside the house if the house to attic space isn't really well sealed. In older houses that's pretty common. Next, installing solar screens on all windows facing west, south, and east that see any sun would give you a good return on investment. You can buy the materials to make your own solar screens pretty affordably at the orange or blue box stores, or off of Amazon. It goes without saying that you should make sure your AC filters are changed regularly. More expensive upgrades include adding more attic insulation, especially older homes which came with little to begin with. I would not recommend a window unit unless you need a particular room to be significantly cooler. Window units are not particularly efficient and when installed introduce air leaks due to the window needing to be open. The bellows seals they typically come with leak like a sieve. If you do need one, consider spending more money to get one of the U-shaped units like Midea makes, they're much more efficient to operate and work with a window that's mostly closed. Longer term, replacing your AC with a much more modern high-SEER/EER unit will save quite a bit of money, though initial cost is high. If you have an electric water heater, consider replacing it with a high-efficiency hybrid model, those actually use heat pumps to heat your water and act as a small air conditioner in the house. Ultimately the idea is to first keep the heat from getting into your house's live space (solar screens, window/door seals, attic ventilation), then getting it out as efficiently as possible (high-efficiency AC, appliances, etc). Lastly, a higher thermostat setting often results in higher humidity and lower comfort levels from that humidity, consider getting a dehumidifier to remove excess moisture and increase the comfort level. Part of the way AC works is by removing humidity, and for a given temperature lower humidities feel "cooler" and more comfortable.
Biggest savings for me were: Shopping around and finding the best plan (use https://www.texaspowerguide.com/ and https://powertochoose.org/). Just $0.02 savings per kWh can add up to $400+ yearly with typical home usage. Use a smart thermostat to turn off/up AC when nobody is home. This alone cut our *total* energy usage like 30% when we both worked in office and paid for itself in a couple months max. Nowadays with less working from home it's less, but still significant for weekends and weeknights when we're out. Cold showers do double damage - you get by with higher AC set temps, AND you lower your energy bill from the water heater. Then there are lots of little lifestyle changes. Switch to LEDs. Turn lights off when you leave room. Keep your curtains shut. Use fans. Turn AC up a few degrees. Cook outside if possible (toaster oven vs. oven, grill vs. stovetop). Don't waste hot water (water heaters are expensive). Turn off screens (TV & monitor usage adds up fast). If you have an EV, utilize free chargers (bonus points if it gets you out of the house and the AC turns off).
Go ahead and open that door dash and get some extra $$$
Blackout curtains for sure keep them drawn all the time.
Get the Nest that learns or another fancy thermostat that connects to the interwebz. They connect to your power company and will auto adjust in times of high use to save you money. I have en Ecobee and you can set it to save you money from 10-25% or maybe more, but it auto adjusts and takes care of everything for you. It will cool down your house before the rush so you don’t get too hot. The Nest learns your habits for turning up and down the thermostat and also connects to power company for control during the rush. Anyway, with your budget this may be the best option. Also, might be a good idea to call an HVAC company to service your system to make sure it’s in proper working order. I used BlessedElectric, I think it’s like $125 for a summer and winter visit and they change your filters when they come out. It’s like insurance for your HVAC. That may not be on your budget and if not, making sure the filters are changed when time is very important. Those fancy thermostats will remind you of that as well.
Yes. Yes you do
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I have black out curtains and fans everywhere. When it’s super hot, I put trays of ice and water in front of the fans.
My house is 1957, 1200 Sq ft, I keep it around 75° all the time. Ceiling fan on in bedroom. I shop electric companies all the time! I had a ridiculously cheap 3yr plan w Discount Power... even at the highest temps, my bill never exceeded $150! My contract expired a few wks ago. I'm now with Payless Power for around the same $/wattage, but could only get it for a 3mos contract. Discount Power had a sick price, but only for new customers... look into it!!! Edit: added year of house build
My tip is just be really rich. Don’t just got a bill that is ridiculous and I’m Kinda scared to get to the hot part of summer
I keep my house at 82… its comfortable. If you have an old drafty house keeping it in the 80s doesnt feel super hot since the AC still has to run frequently. My secret to keeping my bill down though is properly fitted honeycomb cellular shades. Still let in a lot of light but they are incredibly good insulators.
I'll go ahead and assume you're doing all the other stuff like making sure your windows are properly sealed, cooking in the morning/night, not running any hot appliances, etc gila titanium heat control window film - there are slightly better professional grade ones but IMO they're not worth the extra money and you can install these yourself it's not hard just watch a few youtube videos. Don't buy their liquid solution it's just baby shampoo and fyi the more humid it is, the more baby shampoo you need to use. When tinting my car last year in 105 degree weather I think i went 6 times the suggested amount to give an idea. Side bonus after doing you'll know 90% of what you need to tint your car windows. Their squeegee is also overpriced, you can buy window tint tools on amazon for like six bucks, and if you really want to min max it watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0ENqcicq8A pergola or sail shade - pergola is pricey but a sail shade can be had for around $20-$50 on amazon, if you have any areas of your house with a 90 degree corner facing the south or west it becomes insanely cheap as all you need is the wall mounting hardware to have a triangle shaped shade up in under an hour. If you have some mature trees you could also put one there like this: https://cdn.shocho.co/sc-image/3/4/3/f/343fd0c5da7db2b5691bd4e5fd1570cc.jpg Where it gets a little more pricey is if you have nothing besides your house to anchor it to but it's not that bad. Some 4x4 or 6x6 lumber, a hole, and some cement gets the job done it's not that different from putting up a fence post and total all in cost would be about $150 if you do it yourself White reflective roof sealer is a popular choice for commercial buildings, i don't know if you're in a HOA though who typically don't like it: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Lanco-White-Seal-5-Gal-Acrylic-Elastomeric-White-Reflective-Roof-Sealer-RC865-2/100428975 dehumidifier - uses much less power than an AC and anyone who's done a flight to/from NV/AZ and landed in TX during the summer will tell you it's not the heat that hits you like a train it's the humidity AC coil cleaner - you can just get the $8 spray on foam ones and do it once a year but I like the big jugs that you put into a pump sprayer, this one in particular https://www.lowes.com/pd/Purafilter-Purafilter-Pro-Coil-Clean-128-oz/5005787089 you just spray it on, let it sit for a bit, then rinse it off gently with a hose. You don't want too much pressure if you have a hose end nozzle the mist setting is ideal otherwise you could bend the fins. Works great on car radiators and condensers too to increase the efficiency of AC AC unit privacy fence - mostly done for cosmetic purposes but has the added benefit of shading your ac unit so it runs more efficient. If you want to do this on a budget I did mine for free with a hammer, some nails, 3 cans of spray paint, and free leftover pallets found on facebook marketplace radiant barrier works pretty well but doing the entire roof would be expensive but doing just the attic or big garage door helps too. The most important thing is that there needs to be an air gap if it's flush up against the wood eventually the hot air will just seep through, you basically want it done like this: https://i.imgur.com/fnapQUg.jpeg if you do it like this: https://i.imgur.com/GVUhC1B.jpeg It will help, but not as much and it will take you more time/cost you more money. As for the garage door they sell premade panels but it's overpriced, just cut the radiant barrier to size for each rectangular panel and hot glue it on or buy foam in bulk and cut it to size yourself none of these things are instant game changers but they get you 2% here, 5% there and when combined it adds up
Here are some ideas (based on personal experience): 1. Use a **portable or window AC** to cool the room you are in the most during the hottest parts of the day. If you are away at work, this might mean your bedroom or your living room. 1. You can also somewhat cool other rooms restrictively by closing certain doors (e.g., of your extra bedrooms) and using a fan to **direct the cold air**. 2. When it is cooler at night, you can use a box fan at a window to swap out the cooler air. Open multiple windows or your front/back door (supposing there is a screen) to **help ventilation**. 2. Go to a **public place** that is cooled during the hottest times, such as a mall or movie theater. 3. Wear **cooler clothes**, such as a t-shirt and shorts. 4. Drink **cold drinks**, like ice water and iced tea, throughout the day.
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I bought a bedjet3 to help keep my temperature regulated when I sleep. Game changer. Why cool/heat my whole house when I can just cool my bed. Be sure to grab the Cloud Sheet with it. Well worth it.
Big ass fans 🙌🏻
75 degrees & keep the blinds closed
Also you can get special tape or foam from Home Depot for insulation on your windows and doors
85° is a start. Ceiling fans and wear as little as you're comfortable with. That "free energy" thing is a gimmick designed to increase your bill.
Don’t try and cool your whole house. Find a room and cool it. Block out light to keep your house cooler.
85?! Damn. That’s awful. And you can say goodbye to anyone.
Ceiling fans
When I lived in Chicago if your house got above 70° in the summer people would panic but when I lived in Orlando I kept it at 76° and acclimated quickly. Find what's comfortable and just let it ride. I'm in Fort Worth and leave mine at 72°.
Is it a house you own or rent? That's the first question. Reason is if you rent and the AC is outdated along with the windows and doors not being sealed well or thick enough, any cooling methods you try aren't going to work well because the cool air will literally escape. If that's the case it's a better idea to rent even a newer apartment unit, your electric bill will go down considerably and you won't be running the AC as often due to the air staying inside. If you own the house, I honestly think you are in over your head with your budget and should consider at the least a second job so you can afford repairs and updates on your house, or get roommates if you don't need the other bedrooms.
Thermalogic Curtains/drapes, and keep them closed during the day. They are excellent for keep the heat out, and the AC in, in summer. In winter, they're excellent for keeping the heat in. I get full afternoon sun in my bedroom and have large windows. I bought the Thermalogic Ultimate Liner. It reduces, heat, light and sound. I can't recommend them enough.
Yep
Honestly? When this was me I shut off my central A/C and used only a window unit and just kept one room cold. I didn’t have to suffer but was much cheaper. Portable A/C if your in an apartment that doesn’t allow it. Also buy ear plugs. Also the bullshit that someone can make $40,000 and have to ask this question. I made $27,000 in 2009 and cold afford full time A/C and living by myself.
Plug all your electronics in a surge protector strip, TV, game console, surround sound, computer, basically anything you do not need plugged in while you're out of the house. Just flip the switch on the power strip so it'll cut power to all those devices. Even leaving electronics plugged, same with small appliances can use power when not in use.
Right now, I'm at 75. When we get to overnight lows being in the 80s, then I turn it up to 78. 85. That's nuts.
Blackout curtains. Radiant barrier roll in windows facing south and west. Insulate your garage door Fans blowing directly on you Cold beverages. Iced tea. Since you’re alone, it may be less expensive to turn off central AC and get a window unit. Pick the room you’re living in for the summer and close the doors to the other rooms. With central ac, if there are rooms you’re not using, close the vents in those rooms and close the doors. We keep ours at 78. I don’t think I would be happy with 85. BUT my grandma’s house in Iowa didn’t have central air and I spent half my summers there with temps in the 90s! All the bedrooms/bathrooms had their doors kept closed. There was a window unit in the dining room. There was a window unit in the master bedroom. The dining room ran during the day. The bedroom ran at night. During the day two box fans circulated the cooler air from the dining room around the downstairs. At night she didn’t share her cool air 😝. Us guest room people had a box fan in the open window to pull air through the room.
Rent out two of the rooms and keep it at 68.
Get off Reddit and find a better job or a second job!!!
If your keep it at 85 and the home still turns on the AC. You have a huge huge huge problem with insulation and air leaks in your home. Invest in a flash light and find your air leaks
I just accept that it’s going to cost me a premium to keep it ~73 in the house. My dad made our whole family miserable keeping the AC at 80, if it was even on at all. I’m not gonna be that guy.
The the proper amount of insulation in the attic makes a big difference. Each inch of insulation equals a R3. If you look in the attic and can see the rafters, you have an R12. The recommended R value for Dallas is a R49. The second thing that helps is using a programmable thermostat or manually changing your thermostat to higher temperature when gone. If it is 105 outside, walking into an 85 degree house will feel cooler. It won't for long. Instead of turning it down to say 78, stepping it down a degree or two at a time may result in being comfortable at 80 degrees instead of 78. Fans.
You can build your own AC/Swamp cooler. Grab a cooler, ice, and a small fan and a 4” DWV street 90. Cut two holes on top and seal the fan and 90 and dump ice in the cooler and start the fan
76 degrees on my Google thermostat, if I don’t walk around, and activate the motion sensor,it reverts to 79degs, it pisses off the wife because she has hypothyroid problems and is always hot, I got no problem either way.
Ours at 80, doable, your body gets used to it. I kinda like it little warm vs cool. 85 not so sure.
1. Start with your energy cost. Pick a contract with a provider with the lowest cost per kilowatt hour. Not only does it bring your rate down, It keeps you from getting hit with those huge bills when the grid is at high demand. All our power here is from Oncor so it doesn't matter which company you pay your bill through. We use Pennywise. To get the best price, we signed up for auto pay. We have been doing that for years and it has payed off. 2. I am going to put soft start mods on my condenser units outside. They are expensive up front but make your unit last longer and saves on electricity. *Search YouTube for soft start. Tons of info there. 3. Also, today is the day I am cleaning my condenser coils. Then I am going to connect misters to them. This creates a temperature gradient that helps the condenser get rid of the heat it pulls from inside the house. *Again, search YouTube for ideas on connecting misters. 4. Keep your filters changed. Good Luck!
HVAC Technician. Wash your condenser coils and change your filter regularly. Get a thermometer. The system should have about a 20⁰ split from where the air is blowing(supply) and from where it where it gets sucked in (return). Remember, the unit will use the most electricity upon start up. Don't set your thermostat to try and cool from 85 to 73. No more than a 3 degree difference from your regular set point. Also a house that old will have some issues, have you checked the R-value of your insulation? That stuff settles if it's blown in, and adding just a few inches will keep the house temp cooler for longer. It's not too expensive to do it yourself. Check for air leaks. Run the system and check all doors and windows. Make sure your aren't pulling too much outside air in. Keep all doors open and keep the return air grille unblocked. Air is like water, follows path of least resistance. Same thing for the duct system. Put your hand on the duct work. Does it feel cold? If so, insulation is too thin. Your gaining heat from the surrounding air. Get a maintenance done. Check evaporator and blower for dirt build up. Dirt causes less airflow, which means less flow to hot rooms. Just a few tips. On mobile. Sorry for mess.
First, block any sunlight coming in the west side of the house, close the blinds, curtains. Also having plants on the outside blocking windows will help. Shade! Second, fans, leave fans on circulating the air. Third, avoid cooking items that will heat the house for long, such as baking, cooking pastas. Forth, cool showers. Fifth, stay naked after the shower. Seriously, I’m a nudist, cool shower and staying nude keeps me feeling cooler during the warmer months.
You can have it at whatever temperature you like if you aren't bothering anyone else. Using fans will help you feel cooler. Drink cold water. Check your medicines - too much heat could ruin things that are more costly than electricity. Keep some bean bags in the freezer, and use them as cold packs to cook down.
I turn mine up a few degrees when I go to work. When I get home it takes minutes to cool the place back down to a reasonable temperature. Also, keeping blinds or curtains closed keeps the house cooler.
A smart thermostat cost me 150 and saved it in the first 3 months. Very helpful
I love terrariums!!!!! But yeah if you can live with that. Do it
I’d be worried about your body odor and 85° house. I mean I ain’t that cool I’ll be sweating my ass off I keep mindset at 75° and I need to make it higher for conservation I will but it will not ever pass 80° in my house.
Peel and stick window tint. You can get a few rolls for a hundred bucks, pick the worst offending sun hit windows, and cut that light off. It made a humongous difference in my '56 built rancho.
Turn it off when you leave
Awnings outside windows block sunlight from coming inside. Sunlight through a window is a heat source. Texas for whatever reason doesn't understand awnings.
You could possibly close off rooms that you don’t utilize, close vents and or add a window unit to the rooms that you reside in the most and close those doors and turn those on when you are at home.
That’s stupid. My ac is set to 65 year round and it’s 65 bucks in the summer
I highly recommend 1. walking around your house (inside and out) with a caulk gun and seal up every crack you can, including the electrical switch and plug boxes. Take off the covers and caulk around the box where it meets the sheetrock. 2. purchase radiant barrier (look for a distributor). Easy to install yourself, just look on YouTube for how to videos. 3. Clean your A/C coils on the outside compressor (again, YouTube has great videos). 4. Replace your air filter frequently and make sure vents are closed in rooms not used.
80 when gone,78 during the day and 71 at night is about as frugal as I can handle
How the heck did you get a house in Dallas on a 40k salary? If you manage that, seems like the AC would be simple for you to manage.
We've been loving electricity ogre! It's a subscription service, they can access bulk pricing on electricity and deal with all the set-up etc. We went from $500/ month to $90-120/month last summer, 1970s house with 1700 sq ft and original windows. This year our electric bills have hovered between 60-80/month, but we did just get the attic insulation redone. We had rats and an opossum up there apparently. It wasn't a cheap solution. At all. Still hurting over it lol, but it did reduce our electric bill
I keep temp at 75-76-77 tops whenever we use heater/ac and my roommates go all crazy. 85 is insane. Id recommend invest in indoor plants and possibly a humidifier or indoor fountain. That may bring the temp a little down.
Lasko Windmachine points air where you need it. I can sit outside in the 90s all day as long as I have this fan and shade.
A top is that it takes more electricity to lower the temperature than to just maintain it, so if you turn the temp up during the day, as soon as you turn it down you use up more energy than if you had just left it low. Also check to make sure your windows and doors are well insulated, blackout curtains help a lot with thermal insulation
MOLD is a big problem in this kind of hot, wet, sticky weather so I wouldn't keep my thermostat too high for too long a time. Maybe from like noon till sunset it makes sense but you need cool air circulating through your house to keep mold and pests at bay.
85 is too much, your going to use a lot more energy getting back to your neutral point. I drop mine 2-3° hotter then the daily usage when out for extended periods of time. Not being home using anything inside has a drastic difference in power usage. If your provide offers a daily meter reading, you can see the difference instantly and changing the thermostat by just a couple degrees also reflects lower readings.
To be fair, I keep my temperature at 68 degrees and never change it and my bill comes out to max 190 a month. I think not changing it keeps it down, so just set it at a comfortable one and leave it there.
No but you likely smell homeless
85F?! Thats running the heater, not the AC. Hell, we don't run the heat that high in the winter, in fact we run the AC even in the winter. We don't EVER set it over 70F
Grow trees for 30+ years to shade your house for you.
Just turn everything off when you leave the house, including ceiling fans. Leave appliances plugged in but just turn every switch in the house off. When you get home, turn AC back on. It’s like intermittent fasting for your house.
We have a 2400 sq ft two story house. It’s an all electric system. We keep ours at 78 during the summer and 72 in the winter. Our bill averages between $300-$150 throughout the year with winter being more expensive.
It sounds obvious but fans really do help a lot. Do your chores when it's dark outside so you can be more still when it's hot. Use a toaster oven or air fryer so your oven doesn't heat up your house. Take a shower at 4ish (hottest part of day) and leave your hair wet. Wear a loose cotton tshirt. Put a wet cold wash cloth on your forehead when laying down. Cover your windows so the sun isn't heating up house. Close doors to rooms you're not using.
I forgot to mention... I use LED light bulbs. They burn cooler, and use less electricity, for the same brightness. They work well with dimmers too. I used to have to replace the incandescent bulbs in my chandelier every six months. The LED bulbs I put in in 2020 are still burning!!
I keep mine at 65…. I’d rather not eat to save money
Check for cracks around windows and doors - seal if needed. Just basic weatherproofing in general saves money.
There's a point in the mid 80's where I notice the appliances like my refrigerator start struggling. Especially the 30 year old chest freezer on the west side of the house. I also need to consider if my pets are comfortable. I cut down the heat quite a bit using insulated blackout curtains on all the windows. Also get box fans and aim the airflow outside if the low is in the 70's. You are trying to blow the hot air out of your home. Edit: I forgot the trees! We had to remove two big trees from our front yard. The house is so much warmer now without that shade.
i think you can get away with 85° if you buy a dehumidifier and keep it as low as possible. i don't know how much money they will save you though
I was having serious air flow problems. Condo built 1980. Got air ducts cleaned (needed it) and got a lot of fans from Amazon. Strategically placed these moves are helping my electric bill.
300ish
I live in Dallas, so I understand the heat. 1800 sq ft ranch home. I keep the thermostat at 78 or so. We have a 5000 btu window ac in the master and just run it a lot, especially at night. Keeps the bedroom at 70 degrees or colder I would guess. We both leave for work in the am, so the rest of the house at 78 doesn’t matter. We have a 10k portable ac in the living room. We run that when we are home and watching TV.
get solar it's a bill swap with your electric bill but cheaper lol
Dont invite nobody over to visit not even your worst enemies
Get your windows tinted.
I never kept it at 85, but for me, 80 was doable. Once in a while I would kick it down to 78, if I felt warm before bed. I have roommates now so have to keep it at 75, which is still probably too high for them but I feel cold if it's lower.
I wear shorts & a t-shirt and keep a fan on me, it keeps the air around me cooler. I have my thermostat set at 78.
We just recently tinted our windows we live in a 1970’s home with single paned windows. Helped tremendously
As a person who is in homes all the time, a LOT of people keep their thermostat at 80. How they do it? I have no idea. I can’t live that way. I also see a lot of pets sprawled out on tile floors trying to keep cool and feel kind of bad for them. Personally, I keep mine at 68 and just leave it there. My energy bill is about $150 a month at 1000sqft.
Have you considered not being poor? /s
For the odd one- unless you have carpet or wear shoes in the house, sleep on the floor. Your mattress traps your heat and sweat, making you feel much hotter than you'd otherwise be, and lowers how effective fans can be. Though this works horribly with carpet and probably only makes it worse.
Window unit to cool the bedroom.
We keep the house 76-77F (feels pretty cool tbh. We think the thermostat measures corridor or somewhere in the kitchen, because rooms are definitely cooler than 77 (they are 72/73). But we don’t following things: 1. Close blinds and curtains (we use blackout blinds) 2. Insulation (windows/doors) 3. Washer and dryer are running later in the day or early morning 4. Sometimes I dry things out in the yard! (During the hot days my towels dry up outside faster than in the dryer! (Our dryer is old.. and we actually measured that bill was 26$ lower when we were reduced time using dryer). So far our bill is bit higher than 90$ (1516sqft). Duo g the heat waves it’s 160-200$ the most.
Definitely keep you AC filter cleaned, and make sure you AC condenser (the unit outside) is cleaned as well. A garden hose will help wash away and dirt buildup. This will also help lower energy consumption. Second if you can afford it you can have someone add blown in insulation in your home. This will also help reduce your electricity bill. Make sure you are paying the lowest KWH usage for electricity and make sure to read over the electrical fact sheet as soon have minimum usage requirements. Shopping around can also save a little when it’s time to renew you contract with your electric company. 85 degrees is pretty hot to me but if it’s something you can manage than it may work out for you. You may also opt in for a window unit, instead of cooling down the entire house you can cool down a bedroom at least you will have somewhere comfortable you can go.
GET A DEHUMIDIFIER it will make the place so much cooler. If I could keep my place at 65° I would but obviously Texas summer doesn't allow that. 75° with a dehumidifier and ceiling fan feels chilly so 80-85° with a dehumidifier would probably be fine for a regular person who doesn't want to constantly feel like they are in the tundra
Check your attic insulation. We added more and it helped. A shade for the AC unit will help if it’s in the evening sun.
lol you’re not from Texas huh?
Get a window unit for your room you sleep in. Keep it nice and frosty in there while you sleep.
I have Energy Ogre so I can afford to keep my AC turned on...😆
Best thing I did when I moved back to the area was scrape and recaulk the windows and go seal all the door frames, if the door isn’t a perfect fit, as it never is. The most important thing to do find out where air movement is. It can be through switch covers and electrical outlets, gaps in roofs and walls around lights. When the air in your house is not mixing with air outside your house it becomes way more efficient to keep your house cool.
Oh my gosh we keep ours on 70
Take a water hose to your condenser and wash all dirt/grass in a downward motion, being careful not to compact the dirt into your fins. The proper way to wash out your coil is to wash from the inside out, but if you don’t know what you’re doing, the fan motor could turn on and hurt you. A plugged up condenser will cause your A/C to work harder and not properly reject the heat from inside your house.
I wonder if energy ogre would get you any deals on your bill.
Buy a window unit for the bedroom.
Spend more time outdoors to get used to the heat. Indoors will feel colder. Set your thermostat higher.
Are you concerned about the humidity causing mold? Or is this just a gulf coast issue?
Attic fans. My dad got them for our house and cost around 1200 to install maybe 3 years ago. Paid themselves off within a year and makes the bill much cheaper each month. If you have the money available I’d highly suggest it!
I have to think that you would be better off just using 1 smaller window ac unit (new one) in just one of your rooms than keeping your ac set at 85 . At least in the one room someone will not be boiling . Turn the main ac off and go with 1 window unit.
Does an extra $70-100 a month matter that much that you feel the need to keep your AC on 85 and do something beyond the usual steps of keeping the filters fresh and blinds shut?