In the war for seasonal comfort, the battle often takes place around the apartment air conditioners or heat-generating devices. If you live by yourself, the fight is between you, the weather and your energy bill. If you have roommates, the conflict usually revolves around you sheltering yourself from cool air while your partner tries to beat the heat, or vice versa. It’s remarkably difficult to find the ideal indoor temperature for everyone. And if you’re also trying to save energy, the uphill battle gets steeper.
But it’s time you, your roommate and your wallet stop fighting it out and turn to science and the experts to find the best A/C temperature to save energy, especially when comfort also comes into play. An impartial observation might be the arbiter of your temperature peace accords.
Riding the thermostat to conserve energy
Energy Star is the combined program from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy tasked to monitor and educate people on energy efficiency. According to energystar.gov, the best thing to balance your comfort and your budget involves changing up the temperature in your apartment depending on the season and time of day.
Find a comfortable temperature in winter and fall
During the cold fall and winter months, it’s only natural to want to keep your apartment warm and cozy. The best baseline temperature for your thermostat while at home is around 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
If 68 degrees is too cold for you, raise it up a bit, but don’t go higher than 72 degrees. Also, be sure to adjust it when you are away from home or asleep.
While you’re away for the day or while you’re sleeping you can turn on the air conditioning to 60 degrees. Rotating these should keep you nice and comfortable all winter long. And, it’ll save you a few bucks on your energy bill.
Myth buster — adjusting the A/C actually costs more
Weren’t we all taught that our thermostats will work harder and less efficiently if we keep playing around with the air conditioner? While that sounds like a logical argument, it’s a misconception. Actually, according to the DOE, your HVAC is working exactly the same amount to get back to temperature as it will maintaining it.
Regulate your home’s temperature in spring and summer
For the other half of the year when it’s warm out, the ideal temp for your budget and comfort, according to the bureaucrats, is a balmy 78 degrees Fahrenheit.
When you take off for the day, turn that up to about 81 degrees, a perfect daytime temp for houseplants and pets alike, then bring it back to a comfortable 78 degrees after you walk back in. Nothing’s worse than a sweaty sleep experience in the summer heat, so your government suggests engaging your air conditioner to get your apartment to a pleasant 74 degrees for the night.
If this is still too much warm air for you, but you don’t want to break the bank, consider investing in fans to keep air moving throughout the apartment instead of relying solely on the air conditioner. Or, crack a window and enjoy the fresh air and a breeze from outside.
Place your thermostat in the right location
You could be wasting energy if your thermostat is placed in the wrong location. For example, if it’s near the kitchen it could be reading high because of heat from cooking. You may adjust it based on a false reading, in that case.
So, keep your thermostat in the right place in your apartment or home. Keep it away from direct sunlight, air vents, the kitchen and the doors. This will help ensure you get the best out of your thermostat.
Get the right thermostat for you
All that adjusting the temperature sounds like a lot of work, if you remember to do it at all. The best solution to keep up an energy-efficient and comfortable schedule like this is to invest (or ask your landlord to invest) in a programmable thermostat that will do all that turning up and down work for you.
One step up from programmable thermostats is the smart thermostat. These are a great investments that will save you a bunch of money and energy consumption in the end. Plus, they are good for Mother Earth.
Coming home sooner or later than you expect? You can even set your thermostat remotely with your phone.
Find the best temperature setting for energy saving and for you
Now that you know what the experts say about heating and cooling best practices, you can test it out and see if you agree. After all, this is good advice but you can find the best A/C temperature for you, energy saving and your budget.
If you have the right thermostat, it’s placed in the right location in your apartment and it’s programmed correctly for the season, you should stay nice and comfortable temp-wise all year long.
