Should You Turn the Air Conditioner Off While You're Out?

Turning your AC's temperature setting up a few degrees can save a lot of money, but turning the unit off isn't usually necessary. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://home.howstuffworks.com/green-living/should-turn-ac-up.htm

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of iHeart Radio, Hey
brain Stuff, Lauren Boobam. Here. In these times of ridiculous
inflation and over the top gas prices, many consumers are
looking to save a buck or two wherever they can.
Of course, energy costs money, and the more you use,
the higher the bill is going to be. And air

(00:24):
conditioners account for six percent of US electricity costs per year,
which is about twenty nine billion dollars according to the U.
S Department of Energy. We know that running the air
conditioning unit all the time is expensive, But will you
save money and energy by keeping it at the same
temperature continuously or by raising it higher when you're out

(00:44):
of the house. A lot depends on how long you'll
be gone, like don't turn off the unit entirely if
you're just going to work. For the article, this episode
is based on how Stuff Works, spoken by email with
Logan Cresca, communications consultant at Duke Energy in North Carolina.
She said, if you're just leaving home for the day,

(01:06):
it's more energy efficient to keep your air conditioning turned on,
but turn it a few degrees higher than you might
set it for comfort if you were at home. The
same directions apply if the house is going to be
unoccupied for only a day or two. Turning off the
A C unit during the day isn't necessarily a bad thing.
It would just have to stay on longer to cool

(01:26):
off a hot dwelling. In fact, the unit may use
more energy if it's left on all day at the
normal coolness than if you turned it off for the
day and back on again in the evening. That said,
if you live in a hot climate, it could take
several hours to cool off your house, which would be
pretty uncomfortable. Also, central air conditioning isn't just about cooling

(01:49):
your space. It also drastically reduces humidity levels. When the
system is shut off for more than a few hours,
the humidity level will start to rise, which can result
in mold growth. Much to electronic items and the warping
of wooden paper. Any pets left in the house could
be at risk of discomfort or overheating. This is especially
likely in hot human climates, but like Florida. This is

(02:14):
why it's recommended to keep the A C on, but
raised to a higher temperature. The Department of Energy points
out that a higher interior temperature actually slows the flow
of heat into your house, thus saving energy and money
either way. When you get back home, don't turn the
A C super low to speed up the cooling process.

(02:35):
Your home won't cool any faster. The unit only works
at one speed. You'll just be adding to your energy bill.
If the entire household pets included, are vacating the premises
for more than two days, it is an option to
go ahead and turn everything off. You'll certainly save the
most energy and money on your bill that way. That said,

(02:56):
the internal temperature might not be pretty when you get back.
You can avoid coming home to a sweltering abode by
installing a smart thermostat. Kriska explained investing in a programmable
or smart thermostat is a great way to monitor and
control your home's energy efficiency even when you're not there.
You can turn the thermostat up before leaving and then

(03:16):
begin to cool it down when you're on your way home.
She also suggests closing the curtains if you're going to
be gone for more than a few hours. This will
effectively block out the sun so that your air conditioning
unit doesn't have to work so hard to stay ahead
of the heat. In areas that see extreme temperatures. This
can make an enormous difference. Energy Star, which is a

(03:39):
program run by the Department of Energy and the Environmental
Protection Agency, recommends keeping your thermostat at seventy eight degrees
fahrenheit that's twenty eight celsius or higher in the day,
and eighty five fahrenheit or twenty nine celsius when you're
away from home. If these temperatures seem too high to you,
consider the cooling your home to seventy eight degrees rather

(03:59):
than seven two could cut your electricity bill by Cress
Cup has a slightly different take on the thermostat issue,
as she said, raise it as high as you can
while still remaining comfortable, and this will vary by individual.
As a rule, raising the temperature by just two degrees
will help reduce cooling costs by five percent. A few

(04:22):
other measures can make a big difference in overall climate
related comfort, particularly if you've decided to raise the thermostatic
higher than you're used to. No one is to make
use of ceiling fans, Chriss said, Remember though, that fans
cool people, they don't change the temperature, so turn them
off when you leave the room. Air Conditioners have come

(04:44):
a long way even in the last decade. Modern units
can save on cooling energy costs compared with air conditioners
installed only ten years ago, and they're an even bigger
improvement on those of dinosaurs installed in the nineteen seventies
as they use between third in fifty less energy. So
if you've got an older system in a home that

(05:04):
you own, updating it might be worth the investment. Finally,
make sure your home is properly insulated so that cold
air isn't escaping out and warm air isn't creeping in.
Today's episode is based on the article should you turn
your A C up when You're not home? On how

(05:24):
stuff works dot Com written by Leo Hoyt. Brain Stuff
is production of by Heart Radio in partnership with how
stuff works dot Com, and it is produced by Tyler Quang.
For more podcasts for my heart Radio, visit the heart
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