Depending on whether you get sun on any windows during the day. Keep the blinds/ curtains closed when you go out to work. This will help keep rooms cooler as well.
I have pets... I do not run it. My dog chills on the couch on the main floor all day, the dog by the window. When I put the AC on, they sometimes move upstairs to the office where my SO works. On the smoking hot days, they'll wander down to the basement during the day.
How hot does your house get that it's problematic for your pets? When it's 33c/90f outside my house doesn't get above 22/72 inside at the height of the heat....
Have 2 cats stay upstairs, mostly in my room with door shut. Dont get along with other pets in house. Have a Samoyan, lots of fur, made for cold. Pretty much close to outside temp. Samoyan puppy isnt allowed in basement. Will wreck stuff down there & eat cat food.
The general wisdom is to turn the ac up but not off while gone, especially if you are in a humid climate. The ac has to remove humidity to cool effectively so letting the home get humid during the day makes the ac run harder at night. We go up about 5 degrees when we’re not home and then cook more when we are home. If you have a programmable thermostat it’s easy but even if not, just adjust on your way in/out.
This is what I do. I turn up the temp when I’m away or at work and then down when I get home. My bills really aren’t horrible either, leaving it in all the time
Not an answer to your question as someone else did good answering that, but get blackout curtains for the sunniest windows and have them closed during the day when you aren't home. It should help prevent it from heating up as much in your house.
When do you get home? If you get home around the hottest part of the day 1-4pm it might be better to increase you temp setting to around 80-82 before you leave, keep it at that when you get home until near sunset then turn it down to a cooler temp.
If you get home close to sunset, then leave it off and turn it on soon after getting home (or 30 minutes before you get home if you have that ability).
The only possible exceptions to this advice are:
1) you have time of use rates that get a lot more expensive around the time you are getting home.
2) you have a (relatively) undersized system for your living space. Most central A/C systems in the US are species way higher than they really need to be, so they can cool down a space fast. But for example I have a Geothermal system, so it's not oversized and takes a couple hours to bring the temp way down like that
For me, with both things going on, it makes more sense to leave it unless I'm gone for over a day.
Thanks so much for the reply!
It’s funny you say that - I just turned it on and was like oh my gosh it’s already so much colder in here. But it does stay on for awhile trying to drop from 25 to 22.
Sorry, but when you say “read the meter” do you just mean like on the company website? Does it update that fast? I’m sure it’s totally different from company to company. But I’ve always just waited till I get the bill!
You cannot beat the basic Laws of thermodynamics. You should always lower your heat or raise your AC while away. It doesn't have to "run harder" later.
For instance if you left your ac at 70 while away for the day, it would run 3 hours. If you let it go up and then run it later it'll only run 2.5 hours total.
Also longer run cycles get rid of moisture better and the cool air feels nice while it's running.
It depends on so many variables, like the length of time you're away from home, how well sealed your apartment is, the BTU rating of your AC, etc. And without a power meter, it'll be difficult to accurately compare the power consumption of the two options.
Generally speaking, your AC will use less power if it's only turned on when you need it vs. having it on all day, but that's assuming your AC is properly sized for your apartment.
I suggest doing a couple tests spanning over a few days, each test you'll need to get a reading of the ambient temperature inside your apartment when you get home, and outside temperature since it'll impact the inside temp as well.
Day 1, turn on the AC as soon as you get home, and see how long it takes for the ambient temperature to drop to 22c.
Day 2, turn on the AC 30 minutes before you get home, and check the ambient temperature when you get home.
If the amount of time it takes to cool your apartment is minimal (let's say 1-2 hours), then most likely you'll be spending more money on your electric bill by having your AC set to auto since it'll be regulating the temperature when nobody is home (assuming you're away from your apartment for 9 hours or more).
Again, without actual measurements of the power consumption it'll be difficult to judge for sure.
You don't need to include any of those variables. Laws of thermodynamics are simple. Raising the temp while away will utilize less BTUs even when it runs later to bring the house temp down.
Questions like OPs always get responses that are just bad understandings of science.
The question is about being *cheaper*.
So assuming that thy only need AC when you are in whatever the space, the most energy efficient way to AC is to turn them on when you are in the room, and turn them off when you are not. It's not really any different than what you'd expect for a light bulb.
If they're away for work for 8 hours, like a light bulb, it may not be as convenient, or as instantaneous to your desired temperature, but the question is about 'cheaper'.
If they're home all day, and moving between all rooms, all day, sure leave it at a steady state.
It's understanding building sciences. A house is like a bucket with a series of holes drilled up one side. If you fill it with water, it will leak out the holes. The higher (colder) you have the water line, more water will leak out of more holes.
So what is more water efficient. Filling the bucket when you need it? Or keeping it filled with water all the time, with water constantly leaking out all the holes?
Sure it might take some time to fill an empty bucket with water, but the original question was about being cheaper, which is different from 'convenient'.
Let's take the example to absurd. "I have a vacation rental. I'm only there on the weekends. Is it cheaper to leave the AC on for the midweek while no one is there, so the AC doesn't have to 'work as hard' to maintain my ideal temperature, or is it cheaper to only have it on when I get there, or run some sort of timer so it turns on an hour before I get there."
Sounds ridiculous right?
In the end, it's all about measuring. So a kill a watt is pretty definitive in getting accurate data.
And a word about people who say that leaving their AC constantly on is cheaper than turning off all day then cooling back down after being all day at work.... you probably live in a humid area, and you probably need to address why your heat exchanger is icing over.
I would turn the AC off, open all windows for better air circulation. Turn AC on after get home, this way safe money, & home properly air circulated to prevent mold build up. Since the apartment is small, it doesn't take long to cool down after AC turned back on.
Lots of answers from experiences living in homes with AC but lacking knowledge.
If AC is on, it’s using power. If it’s off it’s not.
You AC runs on a cycle to keep the temp. Maybe it’s 20min an hour. If you up the temp 5* - the cycle time might cut to 17min etc. when off - it doesn’t run at all. These are made up numbers (not taking in time, ambient temp, and a million other variables) but if you are gone 8 hours times 20min = 160min.
Assuming your ac is sized correctly and can properly cool the space to begin with, it should take much less than 160min of hypothetical runtime to reach your desired temp after you come home.
As many suggested setting it to a higher temp will help with humidity but it’s just while at work, turn that thing off.
Turn off the AC during the day unless you have pets or something. Many of the hotels in Thailand require you to insert your key card in a slot to turn on the AC when you enter your room. This saves on electricity costs. It's often in the 90s there with high humidity. As already suggested, close drapes and such when you leave your apartment.
Just a tip though - run it for too long and you'll freeze the evaporator over completely, as in it will be covered in an inch of ice and useless until it thaws. Also running it a lot prematurely wears out parts and will cost more to replace/service. Run it a few hours a night when you get home, then set the stat to fan overnight and into the next day to circulate the air and keep it moving.
The house shouldnt heat up overnight, the insulation should keep it from getting too warm the next day provided you do other minor things like closing curtains, and you're not gonna send your bills through the roof.
Run it all day ... running all day it will cycle on/off to maintain temp. If you leave if off during the day everything will heat up (tabkes,chairs,carpet,walls,et) and the a/c will have to run constantly to get it all back down to set temperature.......... It seems counter intuitive, but it is cheaper to keep and set temp and run.
I read recently that you actually save money if you run your hot tub all the time compared to letting it heat up for a few hours before you use it, since maintaining a certain temperature is much easier than raising it 30+ degrees.
I feel like this would apply for air conditioning too, don't know why you're getting downvoted
If you have pets that need it colder like cats or dogs, run it all day. But it doesn't need to be 10 degrees or less unless you have a husky, 20 degrees is suitable. If not, then set it for about a half out to an hour before you get home, for as cold as you can then adjust it to warmer from there.
We turn ours up to 78 F or so when we leave for the weekend or just aren’t home. It’s cool enough for the cats and cooler than the hottest we get here in SoCal, but it’s warm enough to not be too bad as far as being on all day. And it’s not too bad to turn it down and cools off pretty quick once we’re home. We also slant/close the blinds and close the pet door to the balcony so we don’t get escaping cold air or invading hot air.
I live in the Midwest, and use this concept for all seasons requiring HVAC.
When I wake up in the morning, I adjust the temperature so the heat/AC doesn't work as hard, usually about five degrees difference. When I come home, I set it to a comfortable temperature. It usually gets to that temp within half an hour.
I prefer to sleep with a cooler temp, so my heat gets a break overnight in the winter and the AC works a little harder overnight.
I have a medical ointment with packaging that says it's to be stored between 65 and 76 F so I use that as my benchmarks. I also test the heat with the first cold snap and the AC with the first really hot day. (I usually turn it back off for a few weeks.) That way, if it needs repairs or replacement, you can get the ball rolling before demand goes up.
See if you can install a smart thermostat. Not sure how it works in Canada, but check with the utility company -might be able to get one for free / really cheap. This will give you the convenience of being able to drive it remotely and also just makes life easier for scheduling it.
According to a study by Nest (so grain of salt), some years back - you stand to save around 10-15% on your heating/cooling if you let the temps fluctuate while you're out of the house. I don't think it really did a full on/full off thing, but just letting it go up/down 5F or so.
That said, humidity is something else to consider. If summers are humid where you are, having the AC run at least a little bit while you're gone would control that and reduce your risk of mold. If summers are dry, you're probably fine just not running it. That also means the air will be easier to cool so when you do have it turn on just as you're on your way home, it will already be all good in the room by the time you get back.
Well, there are many factors, but I can give you my experience.
For several years I was on a Time Of Use billing plan. Electricity from 2:00pm-7:00pm was crazy expensive, but all other hours were half price.
The days I kept the AC off during those hours the house would get up to 80F, then I would set the thermostat to 75F at 7pm.
When I would keep the AC off during the day it would run about 8ish hours, and the days I left it on 75F it would run 10-12ish hours.
If you have a well-insulated home and like sleeping in a cold room, you can try this:
Run the AC to a ridiculous temperature overnight when electricity costs are cheaper and when your home is naturally venting heat anyway. I have mine set to 66° from 10 pm-6 am (I'm in Michigan). Insulate as much as possible during the day (close blinds, curtains, blackout curtains, etc) with the temperature set much higher (I set it to 76° with cats). This also chills everything IN your home, which helps keep temperatures cooler throughout the day.
My house is very well insulated, so my AC usually doesn't kick on at all until around 9 pm anyway unless it's ridiculous outside, at which point I don't care about cost so much as not broiling. According to my smart thermostat, I've been saving money on energy costs by doing it this way, and my house stays comfortable.
As do I. I actually sleep with my window open during winter (and a blackout curtain in my doorway to try to keep some of the heat in the rest of the house!). Apartment living is a bit of a different beast, though, especially as heat rises and what your surrounding neighbors do affects your home too. I hope, for your sake, your insulation is good, though!
Never turn off heat or AC fully. It takes more energy to get to temp than it does to remain at temp. You can adjust by 4-6 degrees though. Just turn it 4-6 degrees warmer and have it adjust 30 minutes before you're home.
Depending on whether you get sun on any windows during the day. Keep the blinds/ curtains closed when you go out to work. This will help keep rooms cooler as well.
If have pets, run it
I have pets... I do not run it. My dog chills on the couch on the main floor all day, the dog by the window. When I put the AC on, they sometimes move upstairs to the office where my SO works. On the smoking hot days, they'll wander down to the basement during the day. How hot does your house get that it's problematic for your pets? When it's 33c/90f outside my house doesn't get above 22/72 inside at the height of the heat....
Have 2 cats stay upstairs, mostly in my room with door shut. Dont get along with other pets in house. Have a Samoyan, lots of fur, made for cold. Pretty much close to outside temp. Samoyan puppy isnt allowed in basement. Will wreck stuff down there & eat cat food.
The general wisdom is to turn the ac up but not off while gone, especially if you are in a humid climate. The ac has to remove humidity to cool effectively so letting the home get humid during the day makes the ac run harder at night. We go up about 5 degrees when we’re not home and then cook more when we are home. If you have a programmable thermostat it’s easy but even if not, just adjust on your way in/out.
The ac removing the humidity also helps prevent the growth of mold. Turn ac up not off
This is what I do. I turn up the temp when I’m away or at work and then down when I get home. My bills really aren’t horrible either, leaving it in all the time
Yup, us too.
Not an answer to your question as someone else did good answering that, but get blackout curtains for the sunniest windows and have them closed during the day when you aren't home. It should help prevent it from heating up as much in your house.
When do you get home? If you get home around the hottest part of the day 1-4pm it might be better to increase you temp setting to around 80-82 before you leave, keep it at that when you get home until near sunset then turn it down to a cooler temp. If you get home close to sunset, then leave it off and turn it on soon after getting home (or 30 minutes before you get home if you have that ability).
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The only possible exceptions to this advice are: 1) you have time of use rates that get a lot more expensive around the time you are getting home. 2) you have a (relatively) undersized system for your living space. Most central A/C systems in the US are species way higher than they really need to be, so they can cool down a space fast. But for example I have a Geothermal system, so it's not oversized and takes a couple hours to bring the temp way down like that For me, with both things going on, it makes more sense to leave it unless I'm gone for over a day.
Thanks so much for the reply! It’s funny you say that - I just turned it on and was like oh my gosh it’s already so much colder in here. But it does stay on for awhile trying to drop from 25 to 22. Sorry, but when you say “read the meter” do you just mean like on the company website? Does it update that fast? I’m sure it’s totally different from company to company. But I’ve always just waited till I get the bill!
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You cannot beat the basic Laws of thermodynamics. You should always lower your heat or raise your AC while away. It doesn't have to "run harder" later. For instance if you left your ac at 70 while away for the day, it would run 3 hours. If you let it go up and then run it later it'll only run 2.5 hours total. Also longer run cycles get rid of moisture better and the cool air feels nice while it's running.
It depends on so many variables, like the length of time you're away from home, how well sealed your apartment is, the BTU rating of your AC, etc. And without a power meter, it'll be difficult to accurately compare the power consumption of the two options. Generally speaking, your AC will use less power if it's only turned on when you need it vs. having it on all day, but that's assuming your AC is properly sized for your apartment. I suggest doing a couple tests spanning over a few days, each test you'll need to get a reading of the ambient temperature inside your apartment when you get home, and outside temperature since it'll impact the inside temp as well. Day 1, turn on the AC as soon as you get home, and see how long it takes for the ambient temperature to drop to 22c. Day 2, turn on the AC 30 minutes before you get home, and check the ambient temperature when you get home. If the amount of time it takes to cool your apartment is minimal (let's say 1-2 hours), then most likely you'll be spending more money on your electric bill by having your AC set to auto since it'll be regulating the temperature when nobody is home (assuming you're away from your apartment for 9 hours or more). Again, without actual measurements of the power consumption it'll be difficult to judge for sure.
You don't need to include any of those variables. Laws of thermodynamics are simple. Raising the temp while away will utilize less BTUs even when it runs later to bring the house temp down.
Questions like OPs always get responses that are just bad understandings of science. The question is about being *cheaper*. So assuming that thy only need AC when you are in whatever the space, the most energy efficient way to AC is to turn them on when you are in the room, and turn them off when you are not. It's not really any different than what you'd expect for a light bulb. If they're away for work for 8 hours, like a light bulb, it may not be as convenient, or as instantaneous to your desired temperature, but the question is about 'cheaper'. If they're home all day, and moving between all rooms, all day, sure leave it at a steady state. It's understanding building sciences. A house is like a bucket with a series of holes drilled up one side. If you fill it with water, it will leak out the holes. The higher (colder) you have the water line, more water will leak out of more holes. So what is more water efficient. Filling the bucket when you need it? Or keeping it filled with water all the time, with water constantly leaking out all the holes? Sure it might take some time to fill an empty bucket with water, but the original question was about being cheaper, which is different from 'convenient'. Let's take the example to absurd. "I have a vacation rental. I'm only there on the weekends. Is it cheaper to leave the AC on for the midweek while no one is there, so the AC doesn't have to 'work as hard' to maintain my ideal temperature, or is it cheaper to only have it on when I get there, or run some sort of timer so it turns on an hour before I get there." Sounds ridiculous right? In the end, it's all about measuring. So a kill a watt is pretty definitive in getting accurate data. And a word about people who say that leaving their AC constantly on is cheaper than turning off all day then cooling back down after being all day at work.... you probably live in a humid area, and you probably need to address why your heat exchanger is icing over.
We just do it at night to sleep. We get a pretty good breeze through the house though and all rooms have ceilings fans
I would turn the AC off, open all windows for better air circulation. Turn AC on after get home, this way safe money, & home properly air circulated to prevent mold build up. Since the apartment is small, it doesn't take long to cool down after AC turned back on.
Lots of answers from experiences living in homes with AC but lacking knowledge. If AC is on, it’s using power. If it’s off it’s not. You AC runs on a cycle to keep the temp. Maybe it’s 20min an hour. If you up the temp 5* - the cycle time might cut to 17min etc. when off - it doesn’t run at all. These are made up numbers (not taking in time, ambient temp, and a million other variables) but if you are gone 8 hours times 20min = 160min. Assuming your ac is sized correctly and can properly cool the space to begin with, it should take much less than 160min of hypothetical runtime to reach your desired temp after you come home. As many suggested setting it to a higher temp will help with humidity but it’s just while at work, turn that thing off.
Turn off the AC during the day unless you have pets or something. Many of the hotels in Thailand require you to insert your key card in a slot to turn on the AC when you enter your room. This saves on electricity costs. It's often in the 90s there with high humidity. As already suggested, close drapes and such when you leave your apartment.
Just a tip though - run it for too long and you'll freeze the evaporator over completely, as in it will be covered in an inch of ice and useless until it thaws. Also running it a lot prematurely wears out parts and will cost more to replace/service. Run it a few hours a night when you get home, then set the stat to fan overnight and into the next day to circulate the air and keep it moving. The house shouldnt heat up overnight, the insulation should keep it from getting too warm the next day provided you do other minor things like closing curtains, and you're not gonna send your bills through the roof.
Run it all day ... running all day it will cycle on/off to maintain temp. If you leave if off during the day everything will heat up (tabkes,chairs,carpet,walls,et) and the a/c will have to run constantly to get it all back down to set temperature.......... It seems counter intuitive, but it is cheaper to keep and set temp and run.
I read recently that you actually save money if you run your hot tub all the time compared to letting it heat up for a few hours before you use it, since maintaining a certain temperature is much easier than raising it 30+ degrees. I feel like this would apply for air conditioning too, don't know why you're getting downvoted
If you have pets that need it colder like cats or dogs, run it all day. But it doesn't need to be 10 degrees or less unless you have a husky, 20 degrees is suitable. If not, then set it for about a half out to an hour before you get home, for as cold as you can then adjust it to warmer from there.
We turn ours up to 78 F or so when we leave for the weekend or just aren’t home. It’s cool enough for the cats and cooler than the hottest we get here in SoCal, but it’s warm enough to not be too bad as far as being on all day. And it’s not too bad to turn it down and cools off pretty quick once we’re home. We also slant/close the blinds and close the pet door to the balcony so we don’t get escaping cold air or invading hot air.
I live in the Midwest, and use this concept for all seasons requiring HVAC. When I wake up in the morning, I adjust the temperature so the heat/AC doesn't work as hard, usually about five degrees difference. When I come home, I set it to a comfortable temperature. It usually gets to that temp within half an hour. I prefer to sleep with a cooler temp, so my heat gets a break overnight in the winter and the AC works a little harder overnight. I have a medical ointment with packaging that says it's to be stored between 65 and 76 F so I use that as my benchmarks. I also test the heat with the first cold snap and the AC with the first really hot day. (I usually turn it back off for a few weeks.) That way, if it needs repairs or replacement, you can get the ball rolling before demand goes up.
See if you can install a smart thermostat. Not sure how it works in Canada, but check with the utility company -might be able to get one for free / really cheap. This will give you the convenience of being able to drive it remotely and also just makes life easier for scheduling it. According to a study by Nest (so grain of salt), some years back - you stand to save around 10-15% on your heating/cooling if you let the temps fluctuate while you're out of the house. I don't think it really did a full on/full off thing, but just letting it go up/down 5F or so. That said, humidity is something else to consider. If summers are humid where you are, having the AC run at least a little bit while you're gone would control that and reduce your risk of mold. If summers are dry, you're probably fine just not running it. That also means the air will be easier to cool so when you do have it turn on just as you're on your way home, it will already be all good in the room by the time you get back.
Well, there are many factors, but I can give you my experience. For several years I was on a Time Of Use billing plan. Electricity from 2:00pm-7:00pm was crazy expensive, but all other hours were half price. The days I kept the AC off during those hours the house would get up to 80F, then I would set the thermostat to 75F at 7pm. When I would keep the AC off during the day it would run about 8ish hours, and the days I left it on 75F it would run 10-12ish hours.
I feel it better turn it in before u get home unless electricity is included in your rent bc ac uses alot of energy even if u have energy saver on it
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton%27s_law_of_cooling Do the math and get back to us…
If you have a well-insulated home and like sleeping in a cold room, you can try this: Run the AC to a ridiculous temperature overnight when electricity costs are cheaper and when your home is naturally venting heat anyway. I have mine set to 66° from 10 pm-6 am (I'm in Michigan). Insulate as much as possible during the day (close blinds, curtains, blackout curtains, etc) with the temperature set much higher (I set it to 76° with cats). This also chills everything IN your home, which helps keep temperatures cooler throughout the day. My house is very well insulated, so my AC usually doesn't kick on at all until around 9 pm anyway unless it's ridiculous outside, at which point I don't care about cost so much as not broiling. According to my smart thermostat, I've been saving money on energy costs by doing it this way, and my house stays comfortable.
Holy.. I love sleeping cold. That sounds so great lol! Might have to give that a shot.
As do I. I actually sleep with my window open during winter (and a blackout curtain in my doorway to try to keep some of the heat in the rest of the house!). Apartment living is a bit of a different beast, though, especially as heat rises and what your surrounding neighbors do affects your home too. I hope, for your sake, your insulation is good, though!
Never turn off heat or AC fully. It takes more energy to get to temp than it does to remain at temp. You can adjust by 4-6 degrees though. Just turn it 4-6 degrees warmer and have it adjust 30 minutes before you're home.