Is turning your A/C off while you’re at work a viable strategy to reduce monthly electrical expenses this spring and summer?

Turning off any electricity-consuming device obviously results in reductions in your monthly utility bill. When it comes to HVAC, however, turning the system on and off can do more harm than good.

Turning off your air conditioner during the day will certainly conserve energy, but problems arise when you get back home and turn your system back on. If you leave your air conditioner off during the day, indoor temperatures will continually rise while you’re gone. By the time you return, temperatures will be so high that your air conditioner will consume more energy cooling down your home than it would if you left your system on all day.

Air conditioners are engineered to remove heat more efficiently when the indoor temperature is slightly higher rather than being cut off when you leave your home. A properly maintained central A/C can cool a warmer house down to comfortable temperatures in only about 10 minutes.

Utilize a programmable thermostat to avoid the house being too hot when you get home. Set the desired temperature a little higher for the hours you’re gone during the day so the unit won’t cycle on and off so much. Add a setting to start cooling down the house to the desired temperature a half-hour before the time you typically arrive home. Remember, for every degree, your A/C can be 5% more or less efficient. Those savings can add up over time.

For all your heating and cooling needs, contact the professionals at Jackson & Sons.