Degrees to Dollars During the Summer

Face it, Summer in Central Pennsylvania is not only hot, but very humid or as some may call it “close” or “sticky”. If you really don’t enjoy the heat and humidity of our region you might even call it miserable. Whatever your opinion on the heat and humidity is, it more than likely forces us all to do the same thing, turn the thermostat down.

Turning down your thermostat turns up the spending!

We’ve all done it, walk in the home from the long hot commute home or from doing yard work all day and go right to the thermostat and turn it down to cool it off quick. We know that it’s not good for the electric bill, but why? And what can you really do about it anyway, it’s hot in your home and you want it cooled off now!

What’s the “ideal” temperature to set your thermostat at?

In order to keep your house from feeling like the Amazon, but still run your air conditioning efficiently, you should leave your thermostat set at 78 degrees Fahrenheit. This allows your home to be cooled when the outside temperatures soar into the upper 90’s or even the triple digits, without burning a hole through your wallet in energy costs.

Another way to make your home more comfortable or at least feel a little cooler is to have a dehumidifier to regulate the humidity in your home to a comfortable level, which is usually less than 60% in the summer. When the humidity of your home in the summer is more than 60%, it inhibits your body’s evaporation rate when you sweat which often makes you feel sweaty and sticky. This level of humidity in your home will also create a lot less strain on your air conditioning system because humid air holds the heat longer than dry air, even though they might be the same temperature.

Other ways to keep your home cool mid-summer…

There are many ways to keep your home cooler this summer without putting a large strain on your wallet. Below is a quick list of things that you can do to cut down on the heat inside your home:

• Use ceiling fans with or in place of running the air conditioner. This will get the air moving in your home and can help circulate cooler air through your home quicker.
• Close the shades or blinds when you can. A good time to pull down the shades in your home is when you are leaving for work in the morning. This will help prevent the sun from heating up your house.
• Replace your air conditioner filters on a routine basis.
• Set your thermostat at a higher temperature when you aren’t home. This is very easy to do if you have a programmable thermostat. If you don’t have a programmable thermostat, call a Professional HVAC Contractor to have one installed.

What temperature do you keep your thermostat at (most often)? And do you think you’ll give it a try to keep it at 78 now?

For a cool resource on the environment and our climate in Pennsylvania, check out the EPA Webpage titled EPA in Pennsylvania. There’s a ton of neat information and tips on their page about our region.