When it comes to air conditioner use during the summer, you want to stay as comfortable as possible without causing your monthly energy bills to spike. If you’re asking yourself whether it’s cheaper to leave your air conditioner on all day or switch between the “on” and “off” settings depending on when you’re home, we are here to help. As the go-to HVAC contractor since 1977, we know air conditioners like the back of our hand.
Turning Your Air Conditioner On & Off vs. Leaving It On
Is it more efficient to leave your conditioner on all day or turn it on and off based on when you’re home? Since air conditioners use more energy when they cycle all day, it is cheaper to let your system operate at full capacity when you’re home instead of running it at a lower capacity all day.
The more energy you use, the more money you’ll pay in monthly utility bills.Keeping the system on all day may cause the operational cost to exceed $2 per hour. Leaving your air conditioner on all day also damages internal components and decreases the life cycle of your system. This is because an air conditioner that runs cooling cycles constantly wears down parts quicker, requiring more frequent maintenance and replacements. If you want to save time and money on air conditioner repairs and replacements, deactivate the system whenever you’re not at home.
Adjusting the Thermostat Temperature
Adjusting the thermostat by just one degree causes your air conditioner to operate at a 5% difference. Here’s how it works:
When you bump up the thermostat by one degree, your air conditioning system requires 5% less energy to reach the desired temperature. This will save you money on your monthly utility bill.
Increasing the thermostat temperature forces your air conditioning system to use 5% more energy to operate, resulting in a higher monthly utility bill.
The next time you plan on adjusting your thermostat, think twice about the impact it will have on your energy consumption and monthly utility bill.
How To Reduce Your Summer Electric Bills
Increasing the temperature on your thermostat by just one degree during the hot summer months can help ensure your air conditioner is not on all day. In addition, adjusting the temperature is an easy way to save money on monthly utility bills. This is because for every degree you increase the temperature, your system uses 5% less energy to operate. Lower energy usage means lower utility bills. For optimal savings, set your thermostat to 78 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer.
Enjoy Premium Air Conditioning Repair, Tune-Up, & Installation Services
Do you have additional questions about whether or not to leave your air conditioner on all day? Our team of technicians provide exceptional air conditioning repair and air conditioning installation services for homes in Broomall and other areas of Pennsylvania. By providing prompt, professional air conditioning services, our licensed technicians help homeowners in your area stay comfortable throughout the hot summer months without breaking the bank. In addition, our team provides other types of HVAC services such as furnace replacement, heat pump system maintenance, and furnace repair. With over 40 years of experience in the industry, WM Henderson is your team for complete home comfort. Give our team a call by phone at (484) 206-8594 to receive assistance with a malfunctioning heating or air conditioning system.
It's more energy-efficient to keep your AC on but set a few degrees higher when you're away from home for the day. Completely turning it off doesn't necessarily save energy as the unit will have to run longer to cool down a hot house upon your return.
The short answer is yes, it is cheaper to leave your air conditioner on all day. But this does not mean that you should leave it on full blast, keeping your home so cold that you need a sweater or jacket to be comfortable.
In our comprehensive review, we have discovered that it does cost you more money to turn your AC on and off. It causes the system to work much harder, which will make the components break down faster and costs you more money in repairs and utility bills.
Keeping your home at a constant temperature generally means that your HVAC system will run constantly to meet it. This means that your furnace or air conditioner may run when you're asleep, at work, or out of the house. This wastes more energy than the minimal amount that you might save by having it constantly run.
Your AC will actually run longer overall if it is left on all day instead of being shut off. If you turn it off for part of the day, it runs less and results in more energy savings for you. In almost all cases, it will save you money to shut off your AC while you are away from home.
You can assume it's a good functioning unit with no obvious problems. The only likely problem is the evaporator coil inside your furnace/air handler could ice up. This sometimes happens when humidity is high and the unit runs continuously for many hours, as the evaporator coil has no opportunity to defrost.
You can save 10% a year on your cooling bills by setting your thermostat just 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit higher for 8 hours each day, according to the Nebraska Energy Office. The US Department of Energy recommends aiming for an indoor temperature of 78 degrees Fahrenheit when you're at home.
You can also reduce your energy costs significantly by raising the temperature while you are at work, away from home, or asleep. For the greatest savings, consider setting your thermostat to: About 78 degrees while you are at home. About 82 degrees while you are sleeping.
ASHRAE suggests an optimal comfort temperature between 23.5°C (74.3°F) and 25.5°C (78°F) during summers. Setting the thermostat to 24°C (75.2°F) balances comfort and energy efficiency. Using ceiling fans in conjunction with ACs further enhances comfort while conserving energy.
Experiment With Temperatures Until Your Family Is Comfortable If you're ready to make moves to maximize your savings on your energy bill, you're in the right place. The US Department of Energy recommends 78 degrees as the optimal temperature for your thermostat in cooling season.
Energy Saver recommends setting your air conditioner to 78 degrees when you wake up, 85 degrees during the day, and 82 degrees when you're sleeping to save the most money. Kureczka suggests bumping the temperature up to the highest setting you're comfortable with.
The smaller the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be. You can easily save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to around 68°F to 70°F while you're awake and setting it lower while you're asleep or away from home.
In general, an air conditioner runs for about 20 to 25 minutes until it reaches the desired temperature, then turns off and recycles throughout the day and night. An air conditioner should run for 10 to 15 hours a day on typical summer days.
How Long Should It Take for the AC to Cool My House? Generally speaking, it should take one hour per degree to reach the temperature set on your thermostat. For an average three-bedroom home, it typically takes about three hours.
As far as safety goes, it's fine to run your air conditioner all day. You don't have to worry about the components getting too hot or breaking down right away. While safety isn't a concern, money is. Running your AC unit continuously will increase your energy bill drastically.
It's more energy-efficient to keep your AC on but set a few degrees higher when you're away from home for the day. Completely turning it off doesn't necessarily save energy as the unit will have to run longer to cool down a hot house upon your return.
The more energy you use, the more money you'll pay in monthly utility bills. Keeping the system on all day may cause the operational cost to exceed $2 per hour.
Depending on the size of your room, your average reverse cycle air conditioner will cost you around $0.25-$0.35 per hour. If you have a medium-sized room of 36 sq. m., then your air con may cost around $0.36-$0.70 to run.
This means an AC unit could cost you from $5.17 to $5.94 per day to run. Or about $155-$178 per month you're running it. Let's say you still have an ideal home setup, but a home that's a little bit less than the size of the average home – around 1900 square feet.
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Enjoy Premium Air Conditioning Repair, Tune-Up, & Installation Services
Enjoy Premium Air Conditioning Repair, Tune-Up, & Installation Services
