Answer four quick questions and drag the dial. You’ll get home, asleep and away settings for your part of Southern California.
If your home can’t hold these settings, or your bills stay high, we’ll find out why. Free quote, no pressure.
A good starting point is 78°F when you're home and awake, about 82°F while you sleep and about 85°F when you're out. That follows the ENERGY STAR guide, which suggests going 4°F higher overnight and 7°F higher when you're away. If it feels too warm, come down a degree or two, or add a ceiling fan.
Around 68°F when you're home and awake, and about 6°F lower while you sleep or go out. The U.S. Department of Energy says turning it down 7°F to 10°F for 8 hours a day can save as much as 10% a year.
It's comfortable, but it costs more. The Department of Energy estimates that running your AC at 78°F instead of 72°F saves 6% to 18% on your cooling bill. These are personal choices, so use the number that works for your household.
Usually not. Most systems cool at the same speed whatever the setting, so a lower number just makes the AC run longer and costs more.
As a rule of thumb, an AC holds about 20°F below the outside temperature on a very hot day, so 85°F indoors can be normal on a 105°F afternoon in the Inland Empire. If it falls short on an ordinary day, the usual causes are dirty coils, low refrigerant, leaky ducts or the wrong size of system.
If you're on a time-of-use plan, it can help. Southern California Edison's TOU-D-4-9PM plan, for one, charges the most from 4 to 9 p.m. Cool the house a little earlier, then let it drift up during those hours. Your bill shows your plan and its hours.
Summer settings work the same. In winter, keep the swings smaller, because a big jump back up can make some heat pumps switch on their more expensive backup heat. See our heat pump service for more.