As the temperature rises, so does your AC bills. To keep your air conditioning bills controlled you could be thinking, is it cheaper to leave your AC on all day in the summer in Portland?
It’s a widespread belief that turning your air conditioner on and off throughout the day is wasteful. This is actually false.
Keeping your air conditioning on all day means you’re not using it very efficiently. We recommend setting your thermostat higher when you’re elsewhere, and turning it down when you come home. You can do this with a programmable thermostat. Or, a smart thermostat will do the job for you.
It’s significantly more taxing for your system to achieve the same setting all day long. It can also lead to a lot of strain on your equipment, since it’s constantly turning on and off.
So, on top of it increasing your utility bills, it could also result in a shorter life cycle for your air conditioner.
No matter what, the larger the difference between your home’s temperature and the outside temperature, the greater your AC expenses will be. So, what can you do to stay cool and keep your utility bills low in the summer? Here are our suggestions based upon recommendations from the U.S Department of Energy (DOE) and ENERGY STAR®.
Six Ways to Boost Your Air Conditioner’s Energy Efficiency
- Tweak Your Thermostat. The DOE says that you can conserve up to 10% annually on heating and cooling by increasing your thermostat 7-10 degrees during the time you’re away. In the summer, it’s suggested to keep your thermostat at 78 degrees when you’re home and 88 degrees when you’re out. It’s equally as important to abstain from setting your the