Cascade Heating & Specialties
  • Home
  • Make a Payment
  • Services
    • Residential Heating & Cooling
    • Service/ Maintenance/ Repair
    • Home heating and air conditioning repair parts
    • COMMERCIAL HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE
    • Gas, Wood, Pellet Fireplaces & Stoves
    • Energy Controls & Management Systems
    • Custom/Architectural Sheet Metal
    • Mechanical/Plumbing Engineering
  • Products
    • TRANE Comfort Systems >
      • Clean Effects
      • Air Handlers
      • Furnaces
      • IAC/Controls & Accessories
      • Air Conditioning
      • Heat Pumps
      • Extended Warranties
      • Energy Recovery Ventilators
      • Integrated Zone System
      • Packaged Heating & Cooling
      • Packaged Air Conditioners
    • Mitsubishi
    • Daikin
    • Fireplaces >
      • Heat-N-Glo Fireplaces
      • Osburn Fireplaces
      • IHP
      • Napoleon Fireplaces
    • Honeywell Thermostats
    • Air Scrubber Plus
  • About
    • Core Standards
    • Service Areas
    • Careers
  • Contact
  • Blog
Picture


​Blog

What Temperature Should I Set My Thermostat in the Summer to Save Money?

8/2/2019

5 Comments

 
Picture
Here’s the quick answer: 78 degrees. That’s the temperature the U.S. Department of Energy recommends for setting your thermostat while you’re at home. But what if 78 is too hot or too cool for your personal comfort level? No worries. Here are a few tips to help you turn up the heat (even a little) and lower your energy bills this summer.

CRANK IT UP WHILE YOU’RE GONE. Turning up your thermostat when you go to work or prep your home for vacation may seem simple, but there are a couple of pointers to keep in mind to make sure you have the proper “away temperature”.
Shoot for a higher inside temperature that’s closer to the temp outside. This will slow down the flow of heat into your home and make it easier for your A/C to work efficiently. If you set your thermostat 7-10 degrees above your normal setting while you’re away, you could save as much as 10% on your electricity bill. That said, if you have pets at home, make sure you keep it cool enough for them to be comfortable.
Try switching to a programmable thermostat, so you can automatically raise the temperature when you go to work and start cooling your house before you get home. For every degree you raise your thermostat above 72 degrees, you’ll save up to 3% of your cooling expenses. Setting it and forgetting it with a programmable or smart thermostat is an easy solution that can help reduce energy expenses this summer and year-round.

INVEST IN AN ENERGY EFFICIENT AIR CONDITIONER. Even when you’re setting your thermostat higher, you may not see your electric bill go down if your air conditioner isn’t running efficiently. Start small by reaching out to an HVAC expert, like a Trane Comfort Specialist, and have them come check your unit to make sure it’s operating at its best. Small things like leaky air ducts, poor insulation or overgrown landscaping around your air conditioner can affect efficiency.
​
Maybe an HVAC upgrade is the right move for you. A newer Energy Star certified system that has a high Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) and Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) rating will be 15% more efficient than older, less energy-conscious models. Newer systems can also improve your comfort, since they typically feature 2-stage cooling and a variable-speed fan. This type of air conditioning system will keep you cooler more consistently, even on a lower setting. It also runs longer without the starts and stops that use excess energy and removes twice as much humidity from your air to keep you feeling more chill.
MAKE YOUR HOME NATURALLY COOLER. If you’re on a budget or want a fast fix, here are some quick non-tech tricks to lower the temperature in your home.
  • Using ceiling fans can make a room feel 4 degrees cooler. Which means you can turn up the thermostat a few more notches to save money.
  • Close shades, blinds and curtain to keep the sun out during the day. Blackout shades and curtains work wonders.
  • Open windows and turn off your air conditioner at night to let in cooler air. Then shut the windows and shades in the morning to trap the cool air in your house.
  • Weatherstrip doors and windows to keep cool air in and hot air out.
  • Only use heat-generating appliances like your stove, oven, dryer and hair dryer after 8 pm to avoid heating up an already hot house. Appliances can raise the temperature up to 10 degrees!
CHANGE YOUR PERCEPTION OF HOT. If you’re really committed to turning up the temp while you’re home, ease into it. It can take time to for your body to adjust to a warmer environment. Try raising the temperature by one degree every day or two, until you get to 78. Also, remember that humidity can make you feel hotter. So be sure to keep the A/C on, even at a higher temperature, to help draw humidity out of the air.
Still curious about how your thermostat and air conditioning system work? Give us a Call @ 541-382-8483
5 Comments
Residential Electricians link
12/2/2020 03:27:32 am

Installing a thermostat is a great idea that will make it a lot simpler to get an HVAC installation. Thermostat allowing you to program your air conditioner to adjust temperatures according to your family’s schedule. I like as you mentioned, If you set your thermostat 7-10 degrees above your normal setting while you’re away, you could save as much as 10% on your electricity bill. Keep sharing such blogs in the future.

Reply
Tez link
4/28/2021 04:14:50 pm

I like your AC tips. I need to get my unit fixed. It is blowing out hot air.

Reply
Always Air link
8/1/2021 08:25:45 am

It is very great to understand this concept. I pay huge bills for my office and surely your tips will reduce my burden. I have heard about it but had no idea this would do such wonder.

Reply
Heating and Cooling Bend Oregon link
12/7/2021 06:31:37 pm

I am hoping the same best work from you in the future as well.

Reply
premiersystemsmt link
1/6/2023 07:24:16 am

In the past, programmable thermostats gave us a decent amount of control over our homes’ temperatures. We could set a certain temperature to keep our homes at while we were at work as well as setting up a time for the house to warm up or cool down before we got home. However, with the advent of smart thermostats, it’s easier than ever to control the temperature whenever we want to.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    Myths
    Tips
    Upgrade

ADDRESS

1507 NE 1st Street
Bend, OR 97701

SHOWROOM & HEADQUARTERS

M-F: 8am - 5pm
Emergencies: 24/7

TELEPHONE

541-382-8483

EMAIL

sales@cascadeheat.com
Home heating and cooling experts

LOCAL SERVICES

Bend: 541-382-8483
Redmond: 541-548-5364
Prineville: 541-447-7859
Madras: 541-475-2822
Sisters/BBR: 541-549-1530

CCB#01022

Picture
Picture
Picture
©2018 Cascade Heating & Specialties, Inc. All rights reserved. 
  • Home
  • Make a Payment
  • Services
    • Residential Heating & Cooling
    • Service/ Maintenance/ Repair
    • Home heating and air conditioning repair parts
    • COMMERCIAL HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE
    • Gas, Wood, Pellet Fireplaces & Stoves
    • Energy Controls & Management Systems
    • Custom/Architectural Sheet Metal
    • Mechanical/Plumbing Engineering
  • Products
    • TRANE Comfort Systems >
      • Clean Effects
      • Air Handlers
      • Furnaces
      • IAC/Controls & Accessories
      • Air Conditioning
      • Heat Pumps
      • Extended Warranties
      • Energy Recovery Ventilators
      • Integrated Zone System
      • Packaged Heating & Cooling
      • Packaged Air Conditioners
    • Mitsubishi
    • Daikin
    • Fireplaces >
      • Heat-N-Glo Fireplaces
      • Osburn Fireplaces
      • IHP
      • Napoleon Fireplaces
    • Honeywell Thermostats
    • Air Scrubber Plus
  • About
    • Core Standards
    • Service Areas
    • Careers
  • Contact
  • Blog