Air conditioning turn it off or keep it on?

Question

i am in TX and i want to know is it better to keep a/c running or turn it off i usually try to keep it off as much as possible like only use it during the night but i have a 3yr old and a 1 yr old and it gets too hot for them.we usually keep the thermastate at 78 de. because we dont like it cold.i have heard different things 72 74.i know my bills going to go up even though i try to keep it low.But whats the best entergy efficent way to take care of this problem w/o suffering temp wise and finanically?

Answer 1

For financial reasons, keeping it off will save the most money.    Up until modern times, people survived just fine without air conditioning.  Unless the person is very ill or elderly, people will do fine in the heat.  How did our grandparents or great-grandparents survive? :-)

If you do feel you need it, put it in thermostat mode at a lower setting and let it cycle on its own.  Also, if possible, invest in better insulation & windows to keep the heat out

If it breaks, when it comes time to replace it look for an Energy Star one.   I understand that in really hot dry climates you can also get some cooling out of a "swamp cooler" system, though I live up north and have never seen one.

Answer 2

It all depends on your situation.  I will just focus on my experience so you have an example.

My energy bills were like 120-140 dollars for this little rinky dink one BR apt.  I had friends who paid less than me and had a bigger place.

Since I worked days, I would turn the AC off since I knew I would be gone for atleast 8 hours.  If you are someone who comes in and out frequently, that is not a good idea, obviously.

I made sure I cut off every light that I was not using.  Sounds silly but I would leave lights on in the living room all the time, and never was in the living room.  Your computer also uses a lot of energy.  Try to shut that off whenever possible.  Purchase energy efficient bulbs.  They cost more but they will save you money.  Lastly, contact your local energy provider.  They should have a manual to give you more suggestions than what I gave.  By me, they give a 10% discount just for allowing the company to cut the AC in the event they need extra power.  As far as I know, it has only happened once and lasted maybe an hour or so.  You might have something similar in TX

Answer 3

For now I would keep the fan running continuous with the selector on auto. This way the air will continually flow and the air conditioner will only kick in when the temp gets to the setting you put it at.

After this I would consider planting trees around my house to shade it from excessive heat and ultraviolet rays from the sun. Plus the trees will help all of us by using up some of the excess CO2 and other gasses in our air.

Take you kids to the mall and use their air condo for comfort, just don`t buy anything. Or go to some other public facility that has comfortable air. Good luck!

Answer 4

I can only relate it to heating.     I get out of the house or go in the basement (which is a couple of degrees cooler automatically) when it gets that hot.  Stayin in the house is a "no".  Waited all winter for the warm, and now that the warm is here, am going to be in it.

   So heatingwise, to keep bills down I tend to heat as few rooms as possible.     I would say the same should apply for a/c.   Keep central air "central" around the thermostat area.   Maybe even change the sleeping arrangements that you normally have for the "winter months" making them special for the summer months like a campout.