Parts of the Albuquerque metropolitan area can feel summer-like heat from as early as February or March.

Unless you “live alone,” when it’s hot enough to switch on the AC, a debate broils among family members about what to set the thermostat at the in summer.

Some people want the house ice cold, while others want the temperature set higher to save money and ditch the summertime sweater.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) says so, it’s 78° F. The best indoor temperature for our homes during the summertime is 78° F. If that’s outside of your comfort zone, there are some adjustments you can make to how your home feels not whacking your energy bill in the process. Just remember, each degree you raise it above 72° can reduce your cooling costs by 3%.

Best temperature for a comfortable home

Saving money on your energy bill is all well and good, but you want to enjoy the space too. So if the thermostat at 78°F during summer heat isn’t cool enough for you, make small adjustments. Raise the temperature one or two degrees higher than you normally do and see if you notice the difference. Keep moving the setting up until you reach your comfort limit.

Furthermore, humidity can make you feel hotter. If high humidity is a mainstay in your home, check out how a powerful whole-house dehumidifier can change the moisture in the air even as the seasons change to provide a cooler environment.

What temperature to set the thermostat to when away in the summer?

At home, you’re looking for a temperature setting that assures comfort. No need to be sweating if central AC is on the job! But when you’re away, your set temperature doesn’t have to be quite as cool. This might be while you’re at work, out volunteering, running errands or, whatever. You might even be traveling on a summer vacation!

Program or change the thermostat while you’re gone to a higher setting. Putting a smart thermostat in your home will make it all easier, because you can change the temperature setting from your smartphone on the manufacturer’s mobile app.

Here again, we recommend a higher temperature by 7-10°F when you’re gone. For summertime purposes, we advise not to go to a higher temperature than 80-85° because you need the system to come on regularly to remove humidity and prevent mold. According to the DOE by raising or lowering your temperature setting 7°-10°F for 8 hours a day from its normal setting, you save as much as 10% a year in cooling and heating bills based on your climate.

Your HVAC system contains an optimal point in the design plus that it is most efficient running there. When you’re setting the thermostat higher when you’re home and again when you’re gone, you’re just asking less from it and it may tend to have a longer life and keep more money in your pocket through lower energy and repair bills.

In addition to thermostat methods, there are some things you can do to lower your summer energy bill:

How to Save Money on Your Albuquerque Summer Energy Bill

There are several other things you can do to save money on your energy bills besides changes to the thermostat. Let’s take a closer look.

Consider a home energy audit

If you can feel drafts near your windows and doors, maybe you’re letting conditioned air out and humid air in not to mention sweat beads on your forehead when you go from your hot car to your AC cooled house this summer. Your attic, basement or crawl space may also be causing your HVAC equipment to run harder than necessary and gaining you a higher energy bill.

You might consider the benefits of a home energy audit. In our home state, New Mexico Public Service Company (PNM) offers free home energy audits–visit the PNM page there and schedule an energy audit for your Albuquerque home today! You don’t have to pay someone to make some of the recommended changes, like sealing gaps and cracks and improving insulation.

Making your home more airtight can improve your comfort and save you money on energy bills year-round.

Make your home naturally cooler

Aside from raising the thermostat setting during the hot months, here are simple ways to help your house feel cooler.

• Close shades, blinds, and drapes during the day to keep the sun out. Blackout shades and curtains are really effective.
• Open windows and turn off your air conditioning at night, if the humidity isn’t too high, to let the cooler air in. Then closed windows and shades in the morning keeps the cool air in your house.
• Stoves, ovens, and driers heat an already hot house. Don’t use them till after 8 pm! Using any of these appliances can heat the house by 10°F! Grill out, use the air fryer, or serve lots of salads for your summer dinners.

New or old, using ceiling fans: Ceiling fan direction in the summer

Your ceiling fans won’t replace your air conditioning in summer, though they can sure help it! A small switch near the bottom or side of the mounting base of your fan gives you options. Turn the switch to change the fan’s direction for the warm months.

Ceiling fan blades should spin counterclockwise in summer months. Spinning that way means your fan pushes the breezes down toward you. The wind chill effect can make you feel that much cooler; as much as four degrees! You may find you can turn your thermostat up by two or three degrees, thanks to someone turning on the ceiling fans! If you left the house and the fan was still on, it wasn’t keeping the air cooler. Please turn it off when you leave as it’s not affecting the air temperature in the room, but only blowing air on you. Law of thermo dynamics: moving air cools your skin.

Perform regular AC maintenance

Just as you prepare your car for a summer trip if heading out that way, your air-conditioning should be prepared in just the same way.

DIY maintenance:

• Change the air filter every 30-90 days, throughout the year.
• Keep return air vents inside clear and supply registers clear. Don’t let them be blocked by draperies or furniture.
• Do keep the area around the outdoor AC unit or heat pump clear, about 2 feet on all sides. Trim bushes, etc.

Professional HVAC maintenance:

Having pro heat pump or AC maintenance scheduled it will help to ensure the unit is cooling as efficiently as possible and performing as it should.

You can do your part by taking care of your HVAC system, and that’s one of the best ways to protect your investment. A pro coming in to service your home heating system prior to winter, and again to service the cooling part prior to summer, could help avoid downtime in the direst of circumstances. This could lessen the amount of wear and tear on your equipment, make the system run more efficiently, (and save you money!) and prolong equipment life.

Invest in energy-efficient air conditioning

Your electric bill may never go down, even if you’ve turned the thermostat temp up! If your heat pump or air conditioner isn’t running efficiently. If yours is an old refrigerant guzzling dinosaur and repair bills are beginning to climb, it might be time to start planning an energy-efficient upgrade.

A newer AC unit or heat pump that has good Efficiency Ratio (SEER2 & EER2) rating can be as much as 15% more efficient than an older AC. So replacing a system that has served you for many years could pay fright away on the bills.

If you have long hot summers, consider moving to a multi speed, or variable speed unit. These kinds of systems run longer at lower speeds, and they can offer more precise temperature control, and better humidity control.

Work With Day & Night Plumbing, Heating & Cool to Get Your AC Home Running Right

If your AC or heat pump seems unable to cool your home, or high humidity is causing you problems, Day & Night Plumbing, Heating & Cooling can help you find a fix. From HVAC repair work to getting a quote for a new AC to replacing an aging system, you have lots of good options.