With another blast of summer heat hitting the New Jersey and New York areas, households are again trying to balance indoor comfort with the ever-growing cost of running the AC.
Experts say one small thermostat adjustment can make a noticeable difference.
What's happening?
According to a Consumer Reports survey, 72 degrees was the thermostat setting most Americans said they use, even though cooling to that level can cost more during stretches of extreme heat.
But even a modest increase in the setting can still keep things comfortable while cutting electricity use.
Official federal guidance recommends setting it much higher. As AOL reported, the Department of Energy recommends 78 degrees during scorching summer days when you're home and says an empty house can be set 7 degrees higher than that, to 85.
When the weather is hot and humid, opening windows can work against you by bringing muggy air indoors while letting cooled air escape, so keeping them closed is usually the better option.
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This is especially true when the air quality in your area is poor, like during this current stretch where Canadian wildfires brought unhealthy air to large swaths of the United States.
Why does it matter?
Air conditioning is one of the biggest drivers of summer electricity use, especially during prolonged heat waves. When millions of homes are cooling aggressively at the same time, energy demand spikes, and utility bills can rise with it.
Raising the setting from 72 to 78 can reduce how hard an AC unit runs, which can translate into meaningful savings over the course of a hot month, even if the exact dollar amount depends on a home's size, insulation, and local electric rates.
It can also help people avoid wasting energy in ways that do not meaningfully improve comfort. If the house is well sealed, shaded from direct sun, and paired with fans, many people may not notice as big a difference as they expect.
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