Cutting utility bills is a top priority for many Sunset LA homeowners, and at the height of the cooling season, there’s no better place to start than by adjusting your thermostat. Even a very small adjustment can save you dozens or hundreds of dollars over the course of the summer, so it’s a change well worth making. Here’s how to find the right AC setting for your home and budget.

When in Doubt, Set it Higher

One thing we’ve learned over our years in the HVAC industry is that most families set their thermostats substantially lower than necessary. We recommend experimenting with higher thermostat settings to see what works best for you and your family. For most people, the ideal place is actually somewhere between 76 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit; that may seem high, but it’s really not bad at all once you get used to it.
The upshot is that every degree on your thermostat cuts your air conditioner’s power usage by about 8 percent. Yes, even a single degree can make a big impact on your cooling costs.
Using Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans are a great complement to your air conditioner because they break up the hot air that tends to collect at the top of the room. If that hot air is allowed to stay up near the ceiling, your air conditioner has to work very hard to cool it down; conversely, with good circulation, you’ll experience better comfort and better energy efficiency. Just as importantly, the cool breeze from a fan makes it easy to set your thermostat a degree or two higher without sacrificing comfort. For best results, we recommend looking for an Energy Star rated ceiling fan.
Programmable Thermostats

The best thermostat setting for your home is likely to change throughout the day. After all, why bother spending money to cool the house when nobody’s home? A programmable thermostat can take the work out of those daily adjustments with pre-set temperatures for different parts of the day. Modern models make it possible to set unique cooling schedules for every day of the week, and some even allow remote access from a mobile device just in case your plans change.
Adjusting your thermostat is just one way to cut your cooling costs, and at Lee’s Air Conditioning, we specialize in finding even more opportunities for our customers to save. Give us a call today to find out how we can help meet your family’s cooling needs.