What temp is your AC? New suggestions may surprise
(Update: More details, residents’ comments)
The website for Energy Star, a federal program that promotes energy efficiency, suggests the ideal temperatures to keep you cool and save on your energy bill.
The suggestion for setting your programmable thermostat is 78 degrees Fahrenheit (25.56 C) when you are at home, 85 degrees when you’re at work or away from home and 82 degrees when you’re sleeping.
Even though it is a suggested starting point, the story has gone viral, with many people saying those temperatures are ridiculously hot and others saying it’s perfectly comfortable.
The Energy Star website also says changing your thermostat by 2 degrees, and running your ceiling fan, could save you $42 over the summer.
In July 2018, the average temperature recorded at the Redmond airport was 92.4 degrees. In July 2019, the average was down to 85.5 degrees.
According to Central Electric Cooperative, this resulted in a drop of residential power usage of 12 percent.
Klaus Mager, who lives in southeast Bend, said Tuesday he likes his home a little cooler than the suggested 78 degrees.
“We keep the temperatures at 74, which is our comfort zone,” he said. “And if we are not in the house, we will just turn it off.”
Dick Wrobel, who relocated to Palm Desert from Portland, said he’s comfortable at a bit warmer temperature.
“It’s comfortable at 78, and when we’re gone, we’ll turn it up to, like, 86, ” Wrobel said. “If we had the humidity here, I’d probably be down to 74 — and keeping it there, too.”