What Is Your Thermostat Set To ???

Updated on July 04, 2011
D.C. asks from Plano, TX
49 answers

It's getting hotter now and my SO just complained about how high the electric bill is going to be this month....but....we don't even have the air on right now or most of the time during the day....

We have it on at night for sure because otherwise we can't sleep, but during the day it's off, most of the time....

So what is your thermostat set to during the day and during the night....

I want to figure out what the best setting would be....

Thanks !!!!!!

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M.D.

answers from Washington DC on

72 in the summer - and that is 2 degrees warmer than what I like. In the winter we keep it warm at 74. I will pay whatever to stay comfortable.

3 moms found this helpful

K.J.

answers from Chicago on

I'm from MN, so I like it cold...68 year round. I'd have it even colder if I didn't have to consider other people in the household :) Once it gets up to 72 or so I start sweating and get grumpy.

2 moms found this helpful

D.M.

answers from Sioux City on

I don't usually have mine on unless the humidity is terrible otherwise we use ceiling and regular fans.

2 moms found this helpful

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C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

If I had my way - our AC would be set at 68 degrees...i like it cold!! LOL!!!

However, it's set to 75 or 78...this is for both day and night.

I keep all the blinds closed during the day - even with good windows - so that we don't have to cool unnecessarily....

In the winter it's set to 68 for heat...

Fans are GREAT!!! they help with circulation and help the AC run less!!

4 moms found this helpful

G.T.

answers from Redding on

I keep mine at 74 while not doing anything but 72 during the day if I'm vacuuming or cleaning. And 68 at night, I cant sleep if I'm hot.

4 moms found this helpful
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M.C.

answers from Detroit on

72...always works best for us.

4 moms found this helpful
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K.B.

answers from Philadelphia on

It's going to vary depending on house and unit. When we lived on base our electric was included and we had it set to 72, and as low as 70 when the temps were in the 100s. Now that we're paying for electric we were very concerned about this same thing. We started out high and brought it low as needed. 76 is borderline for us and too warm for us to sleep well at night. The upstairs is horribly hot so my son and daughter has fans up there. We keep it set on 75 and try to put it up to 76 when I can until we can't take it and it goes back down to 75. We have a tiny fan at night on us as well some nights, even at 75. We're very aware of the cost so I keep an eye on the temps often and whenever I can turn off the a/c and open windows I do it. We have a lot of trees around the house to help keep things cooler which helps. You'll just have to test it out, start out high and bring it down to a comfortable level.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

3 moms found this helpful

P.M.

answers from Tampa on

72... when I'm not pregnant, I can tolerate 74 LOL - 24/7

3 moms found this helpful

T.M.

answers from Reading on

In the summer it's set at 72 all day and night. In the winter it's set at 65-67.

3 moms found this helpful
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M.A.

answers from Phoenix on

Ours is set at 76 in the summer time but it is 115 outside right now. My husband would like it to be turned up a bit because our bill is running us around $300. Today I bit the bullet and turned it up to 78 and turned on all the fans.

3 moms found this helpful

V.C.

answers from Dallas on

78 in summer and 68 in winter.
I used to be in a networking group with a rep from Steam Energy. We are paying less for our electric bill with them. I can put you in touch with him if you are interested.

3 moms found this helpful

E.B.

answers from Seattle on

set at 68. We keep it turned Off, this time of year. Our house tends to stay between 69-72 degrees. Depending on the Temp outside.

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J.F.

answers from Omaha on

In the summer: day 76, night 73 -- ceiling fans on all day
In the winter: day 65, night 68

We have a programmable thermostat that automatically adjusts for us at our predetermined times.

3 moms found this helpful

K.L.

answers from Redding on

I change ours up or down depending on how I feel or what weve been doing. I usually have it on 76 during the day in summer and turn it up to 79 at bedtime. We have a ceiling fan over the bed and if Im not up doing things I dont need it much cooler. Today I was busy doing laundry and picking up toys and it seemed hot to me so I flipped it down to 75 for a while. I have a floor fan I turn on to keep me cooler if Im just in my chair watching tv. The heavier I get the cooler I need the house. If I lost about 75 pounds I might be able to go with it up to 85. Right now its 95 out, but last week it was 102 and we can easily hit 115 in summer. We save money other places but Im not going to go without my a/c.

2 moms found this helpful

C.W.

answers from Las Vegas on

Against my will (my folk's house) it is set to 76 during the day and 74 at night during the summer and winter. Sometimes I take it down a few if it's hot. My mom gets cold very easily. Like we will be borderline hot and she will be freezing (so I got her a snuggy haha).

My apt was almost always set in the range of 67-70 depending on how hot it felt inside.

lol pamela, raven, and son.. when I was prego my thermostat was like 65. My ex joked around saying he saw penguins chillin in the bathroom saying it was cold haha

Try changing out the lightbulbs and checking the windows for efficiency. And getting a plug you can turn off for elec vampires (tvs, lamps, dvd players)

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L.G.

answers from Detroit on

Seriously, a ceiling fan makes a HUGE difference in the bedroom.
Ours is 78 for AC, 65 for heat.

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N.C.

answers from Dallas on

Ours stays on 68-70 year round. We like it COLD! (Being 8 months prego doesnt help right now) Our electric bill is around 200 during the summer. We had our house re insulated a couple years ago, between that and the fans its nice!!!!!!!!!

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M.B.

answers from Austin on

When we had a whole house system, the AC was usually set to 79.. we also use ceiling fans to keep air circulating and make us feel cooler.

Our AC broke 1 1/2 years ago, so now we just use window units and cool the area we are in. It has saved us money!

We're in central Texas, near Austin, so it has been PLENTY hot down here.

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B.H.

answers from Dallas on

80 degrees day & night during the summer but I'm home all day, and we have ceiling fans in every room. In the winter the heat is set at 68.

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L.A.

answers from Dallas on

80 right now. I weaned my family "up" to it as the weather got hotter. (Feeling smug about that one.) I just set it one or two degrees higher every day until it was where we wanted it, and they hardly noticed. We DO turn it down for the babies' naps and a little at night because my husband is one of those people who can't sleep if he's too warm...so we live in Tx...? Just kidding. Even then, it's only down to 77 at the lowest.

2 moms found this helpful

A.H.

answers from Tulsa on

80 when I'm at work. 77-78 when I'm home during the day, with fans on medium. 76-77 at night with fans on low. It's warmer than I would like, but my bank account loves it! My summer electric bill is anywhere from $50-100 dollars depending on hot it is outside. The only things on gas are my water heater and furnace.

Winter I set on 50 when I'm at work and 68 for all other times. Winter gas bill is usually around $75-80. I love winter, because I am so hot all the time and 68 is perfect for me! I just can't afford to do that during the summer!

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J.B.

answers from Tyler on

Personally, I think you are paying more by allowing your house to get so warm, then cooling it down at night. Keep the temp at 80 if you can stand it that warm, and turn it down to 75 at night. I think it has to run a lot longer to bring the temp down than it does to keep it at a reasonable temp. We bought a window unit at Lowes for about $180 and put it in our bedroom when our AC went out and it took over a week to get a new one installed. Now we use it to cool the bedroom when the heat is up to triple digits.

1 mom found this helpful
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B.C.

answers from Joplin on

We are in Missouri and it is already a scorcher summer. Ours is kept between 75 and 76, but if it is really hot then my SO will turn it down to 74 during the day ( he works nights and sleeps days) We have ceiling fans and box fans to help circulate the air. If anyone complains they are hot I suggest drinking cold drinks, dressing cooler or taking a cool shower = ) My mom keeps her house at 78 and I am never comfortable there.

1 mom found this helpful
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C.G.

answers from Boca Raton on

Living in south Florida, our A/C is on year round. We have it set for 76 at night, 78 when we are at home, and 82 when we are out of the house at work.

1 mom found this helpful
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E.T.

answers from Dallas on

80 in the summer, 68 in the winter. ceiling fans going in every room. All the blinds stay closed in the summer, back ones stay open during the winter. I have a pretty reasonable A/C bill (less than $200/month) in the summertime.

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R.P.

answers from Cleveland on

we set ours at 74 when the air is on and its set on a timer so it switches temps to a little warmer at night and cooler during the day

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R.J.

answers from Seattle on

Almost nowhere up here has central air... so if we want air conditioning we have to put in window units.

Typically, I want my house (winter or summer) at about 80 degrees. What I actually set it to is between 68 & 74 depending on how much pain I'm in.

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K.F.

answers from Dallas on

Wow, I wish I had never read this LOL! My husband is always saying I keep ours too high and now he has back-up :-). I keep ours at 80 most of the day (and the kids and I are home) and my husband turns it to 78 when he gets home. If we have people over I turn it down a few more degrees to combat body heat and if we are warm at night we might kick it down a degree or two but the ceiling fans do wonders for keeping us cool. We just dress in cool layers. I am also constantly going around turning things off that we aren't using, unplugging, etc. That helps keep our bill lower than anything else - well that and the great rates we get from Stream Electric. If you haven't shopped your rates in a while you really should. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

A.G.

answers from Dallas on

We're in DFW also, and we keep it at 75 during the day and 72 at night with ceiling fans on all the time. Our last bill was $220.

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S.L.

answers from Boise on

We have ours set to 80 in the summer. We turn it off at night because it cools off here, but I lived in Phoenix before, where you have it on 24/7 for like 6 months! The best thing for sleeping when it's hot is a ceiling or pedestal fan blowing directly on you.

My husband thinks I'm crazy for doing this, but I also like a misty spray bottle. I spray it on my arms, legs, and face, then lay down with the fan blowing on me, and I'm cool and ready to sleep in seconds.

Maybe with those tips you can turn up your thermostat higher at night. Or even off.

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J.K.

answers from Chicago on

We have seasonal allergies so we can't have the windows open (and I can't stand humidity). It's set to 73 for central air and in the winter 70. Both of those temps are 24 hours. I'm a SAHM most of the time so we are home much of the day.

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M.D.

answers from Victoria on

I dont know how you dont turn the air on right now in DFW!!! You are better than me! We moved from DFW about a year ago- we now live on the coast outside of Corpus- HUMID!!!! I keep ours on 78 almost all the time. We had it on 75 and our first bill in the new house (2 months ago) was higher than I had hoped. So.... I adjusted the temp up a degree every few days until I found something that was comfortable. We will average 300-325 bills thru the summer. Our house is 2300 sf.

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M.P.

answers from Dallas on

Shop around for lower electricity rates. We keep our house at 76 all day and our bill for June was $125. I was shocked!!! We have never had an electric bill so low in the summer. We currently use reliant.

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M.O.

answers from Fresno on

75 degrees day and nights

1 mom found this helpful

T.F.

answers from Dallas on

Ours stays around 75 and lower at night.

If you turn it off anf on during the day, you are using more electricity. If you set it to a hold at a specific temp... say 85 if you don't want it running, it will stay steady and only come on if the temp reaches 85.

Make sure you change your filters and maybe have the AC guy come check the units for the summer so you can run it more efficiently.

Our bills hit $700 before we ripped out all the builder installed units, furnace, venting and upgraded. We used Collin Air in Plano and Brian is very fair.

Since then, we switched from Reliant ( I loved them and I usually oppose change) to Champion Air and our highest bill in the worst part of summer has never hit $400 again.

Our house is a little over 4000 SF and we have no issues with morning or evening sun if that helps you. I do have ceiling fans on and I never close my blinds... can't stand it being dark and gloomy during the day.

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P.M.

answers from Portland on

On hot, dry days, we never use any cooling until the thermostat reaches 85. On hot, humid days, I start dripping sweat at 82 or 83, so I'll give myself a few cool blasts during the day. Nights, we turn it off and open windows. But here in Oregon, nights generally cool off pretty well.

1 mom found this helpful

A.G.

answers from Houston on

Mine is set to 75 during the day 72 at night. I have an additional window unit.

im a polar bear. id keep it at 69 degrees if i could.

75 is the LOWEST I COULD HOPE FOR, during out crazy summer days.

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B.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

I like it cool. I used to be able to stand the heat, but not so any more. I keep the inside at 75 (summer) or less or I sit in front or under a fan. In the winter we have it around 62 degrees. We turned on the heater less than 10 days this last winter. We've turned on the A/C two days so far. When its really hot I like to use the grill to cook with to cut down on the heat generated by cooking. I put a cloth towel on my crock pot so I can cook with less electricity. I also have insulators for the lids of my pots so I can cook with a lower flame. Doing all this cuts the heat generated in the house and the amout of A/C I use.

Our worst electricity bill was $375. Then I put more insulation in the attic and put double pane windows throughout the house. I replaced all the lights with those energy saving lights, including the lights that used to be 300 watt bulbs on the front of our garage that lit the driveway at night when we left. Now our electricity bill averages $95 per month. I took out the electric oven and electric stove and put in gas stove and oven.

My lowest electricity bill was $16 and change. I hope this is helpful.

Good luck to you and yours.

1 mom found this helpful

V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

78 during the day
77 or 76 at night

Ceiling fans in each bedroom help. And the family room during the day.
I prefer it to be at 74 or 75, but the electric bill is just too much that way. So when it finally stopped being cold at the end of winter, we actually HAD a spring this year (deep south) so we just started out setting it higher than years before. It's ok.

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S.T.

answers from Denver on

We do 68 in the winter and 76 in the summer - 75 if it's really hot out!

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K.O.

answers from Atlanta on

I'm surprised at all the 80's!

I keep mine set at 72 on the downstairs and 70 on the upstairs. I've definitely improved over the years - I used keep at 68 during the day and 66 at night. On the flip side, now that I'm used to the 72, I also require it to be 72 in the winter, too.

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C.M.

answers from Washington DC on

we keep it between 72-74 all day and night

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T.T.

answers from Dallas on

I like it at about 77 , but my husband likes it at 75 (or even 74). Last year we had a bill close to $400 in our old house, but the efficiency was terrible in it. We'll see in the new one. We live in the North Texas area also.

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B..

answers from Dallas on

We're not far from you, and our thermostat is on 80 during the day. (78 at night.) We have ceiling fans in every room and curtains over every window. We also have weatherized the house. (weather stripping, etc.) We rarely feel hot during the day. Our current electricity bill is $150.

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J.C.

answers from Anchorage on

Ours is off during the spring, summer, and fall. In winter it is at 65 during the day and 54 at night.

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L.L.

answers from Orlando on

78 when I'm at work and around 74ish at night.

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N.L.

answers from Dallas on

We work all day so when I leave int he morning I turn it up to 84 then when I get home at 5 I turn it down to 80 then by the time Im almost finished cooking dinner Im pretty hot so I turn it to 79 then 78 at bedtime. I think everyones AC unit is different. Becuz if I turned mine down to 74 it would be freezing in my house. So u really have to go by your own temperature, not what everyone else is doing. I will tell you it is cheaper to turn it up if you are going to be gone longer than 4 hrs. I was told this by an AC repairman. Its still cheaper to cool it at that point than it is to keep it running at a lower temp when your not even home.

T.K.

answers from Dallas on

72 when im home. 78 at night and when im not

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S.M.

answers from Dallas on

Wow, I can't believe you haven't even had it on during the day! Ours is about 74-76 during the day and 70-71 at night... I just can't stand to be hot and refuse to be hot in my own house! I have friends that keep it on 78, but I just don't enjoy that at all.

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