Would You Undress So Your Air Conditioner Works Less? - Electronic House ​​

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Would You Undress So Your Air Conditioner Works Less?

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What would you do to save money on your summertime cooling bills? Reduce the time you run the AC? Run a fan? Strip down? According to the Lennox Home Energy Report Card, many homeowners are willing to endure higher temperatures at home during the summer months to decrease their monthly electric bill by $50. Thirty-seven percent would raise their thermostat 3 to 6 degrees, while only 14 percent would be unwilling to change the temperature at all. As a last resort, 33 percent of homeowners say they would rather walk around in their underwear at home than spend money to cool down their house.

 

Reducing Use of Your Air Conditioner

Other tactics survey respondents noted as a way to cut back on their electric bills during the summer:

  • 28 percent would search for unused appliances to unplug, others start turning off lights or research news ways to save energy.
  • 55 percent program their thermostats
  • 45 percent bought new, more efficient air conditioning and heating systems
  • 46 percent turn on their AC system for the first time of the year in May or June, while 9 percent of homeowners fun their AC system year round.
  • 73 percent change the filter in their heating and cooling system monthly

 

Turning off the AC—More Harm than Good?

While many people proactively take actions toward lowering energy bills, some are doing more harm than good by employing this practice. Twenty-three percent of homeowners say they have turned off their cooling system completely during hot days to conserve energy. “While turning off your air conditioning system completely seems like an effective way to conserve energy during the summer, it is actually forcing the system to work overtime to get back to a comfortable temperature,” says Lennox energy efficiency expert Brittani Youman. “Doing so uses more energy and results in higher bills. Instead of turning off your system, we recommend lowering or raising the temperature of your thermostat—or better yet, install a smart thermostat to do it for you.”

Win Cash for Your Energy Saving Tip

If you have a useful energy saving tip, you could win up to $10,000 in energy efficient products from Lennox. Between July 1 and August 31 homeowners can enter the Lennox Energy Savings Superstar Contest. Go to www.lennox.com to submit your tip, along with a photo that illustrates your tip.

Lisa Montgomery
Lisa Montgomery

Lisa Montgomery has been a member of the Electronic House editorial team for nearly 20 years; most of that time as the Editor. With a knack for explaining complex high-tech topics in terms that average consumers can understand, her style of writing resonates with people who are interested in addition electronic systems to their homes, but are unsure of the steps involved and the solutions available. From basic lighting control systems to full-blown automation systems, Lisa understands the home electronics market well, and is able to point consumers in the right direction on their quest for a smarter, more convenient, efficient and enjoyable home.

Over the years, she has developed close relationships with key manufacturers and seasoned custom electronics professionals, giving her a keen sense of what home technologies are hot now and what’s on the horizon. She shares this wisdom regularly through feature stories, product roundups, case studies technology spotlights and comprehensive guides and books, which can be found on the Electronic House website, www.electronichouse.com.

Have suggestions or something you want to read about? Email Lisa at lmontgomery@ehpub.com

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Comments

  1. “While turning off your air conditioning system completely seems like an effective way to conserve energy during the summer, it is actually forcing the system to work overtime to get back to a comfortable temperature,” says Lennox energy efficiency expert Brittani Youman. “Doing so uses more energy and results in higher bills. Instead of turning off your system, we recommend lowering or raising the temperature of your thermostat—or better yet, install a smart thermostat to do it for you.”

    Not exactly. If one uses the passive cooling nature of waiting until sunset when the temps generally cool 15-20 degrees from the hottest point of the day and simply open windows, bringing a home back to comfortable temps should not require expending excessive energy. I would debate his point and put it in the context of a commenter who has a vested interest in people buying and using AC’s.

    Reply

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