Facing a sweltering apartment, renter asks Reddit how to balance comfort and cooling costs

A Duke Energy customer turned to Reddit after the heat left their home at 83 degrees Fahrenheit, and their anxiety over a rising power bill climbed just as quickly. 

As highlighted in the comments, in many cases, the solution is not to blast the air conditioning harder, but to use it more strategically.

What happened?

Facing a sweltering apartment in North Carolina, a renter asked Reddit how to strike a balance between comfort and cost with their thermostat.

"My provider is Duke Energy, which they are notorious for just overcharging no matter what you do, but I know there's allegedly ways to reduce costs," they wrote. 

"I've been using a fan for some time, but it's not enough; it's genuinely 95 degrees outside, and my indoor temp currently reads 83. What temp should I keep my thermostat air cooling on so I can keep it on constantly without turning it off?"

Rather than aiming for the low 70s, several commenters recommended holding the home closer to 77 or 78 degrees. They said that the approach works best when the setting stays consistent, particularly with a non-inverter AC, and noted that trying to hit 75 on a 95-degree day can drive energy use much higher because the indoor-outdoor temperature gap is larger.

Why does it matter?

Energy bills can soar during the summer, so many homeowners are looking for ways to keep them down. 

At the core of the discussion was how to trim summer cooling costs without making the space feel unlivable. Some advice included opening windows at night when the outside temperature drops below 77 degrees, then closing them in the morning before it warms up again. 

Beyond the thermostat itself, commenters pointed to other budget-friendly ways to stay cooler, including blackout or reflective curtains on windows that get direct sun, sealing gaps around doors and windows, using window fans after dark, and avoiding the oven by switching to an air fryer or slow cooker. 

They also said that if the bill still seems unusually high, the issue may be an AC unit that needs service rather than the utility simply "overcharging." Homeowners can also pair solar panels with efficient electric appliances to drive utility costs even lower.

What are people saying?

One Reddit user wrote, "It turning off and on is just an unavoidable reality of a non-inverter AC. Best you can do is set the temp higher than you'd normally like, but also keep the fan going. Each degree you are cooling less saves way more energy than the fan or anything else you could do (except maybe adding more insulation or reflective layer to the windows?)." 

Another commenter added, "Duke … sucks, but they're not 'overcharging.'" 

They went on to explain that fees are state-approved, and they're likely just using more energy. 

"Your AC probably needs servicing. If you rent, call your landlord."

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