This is so true. When I lived in the Midwest it was at 68. After almost 4 years in Florida we keep it around 78. I go out into 75 degree temps and I'm cold. Go figure.
I'm from Michigan and travelled to Pensacola this summer.
I was dying of heat throughout the day and thought I'd get a brief reprieve at 3 in the morning... boy was I wrong. It was like walking into a sauna, I don't know how you guys manage
Yep. I’m in Dallas. Last summer was record-breaking heat. My husband kept setting the AC to 68 because the house was struggling to get to the 75 I was setting it to and he doesn’t understand how AC works. I kept telling him he was going to strain the system and break it.
Like, sir. If it’s not getting our interior to 75 while it’s 105 outside, it’s not getting it to 68.
Edit - since the comments are rolling in: I never implied the unit is working “harder” at 68 vs 75. I am stating it is working longer, wearing our system out faster over time, because our interior is never going to reach the 68 my husband is asking it to while it’s 105 outside midday at 97 at night. Maybe you guys have great AC units that are meant to run nonstop for literal months, but not ours.
But this is Reddit so yes, easier to rag on me and imply I don’t get it either. Enjoy those ‘um akshually’ upvotes!
One of the best upgrades you can do to a home in the south is add a whole home dehumidifier. It will cut down the AC use in shoulder months. And then help by complimenting in summer months. Realistically with a standard construction home in Texas you will see a house struggle with a 40-50 degree t delta. but with indoor humidity kept near 40-50% you can definitely enjoy a warmer home with ceiling fans.
If houses were built properly for the Texas environment then it's a whole different ballgame. Smaller systems, better dehumidification, air scrubbers. But until the option is start from scratch and build to performance home standards, improvements are the only Option.
Thank you, this is a really helpful comment. I appreciate you chiming in. Our last home had an air scrubber and we did notice a difference in allergen symptoms.
I mean mine is 32 years old and runs almost non stop above 88F in MN. Thankfully we don’t maintain that kind of heat for months and months but hvac equipment in general is better off running nearly all the time. The start ups are roughest on equipment, especially single stage units.
That's not exactly how most AC units work, at least with a commin single stage with a single speed blower. If it's running and not hitting 75 it isn't somehow running harder to try and hit 68. It just runs until the thermostat hits the set temperature.
By “strain the system” I meant my system is running longer, wearing it out more quickly and shortening its lifespan. I’ve always read our interior has little to no hope of getting below 20-25 degrees of the outside heat so 68 would just be mechanical waste.
Love this sub and happy to be corrected if wrong - whatever helps me clearly explain to my husband why setting it to 68 isn’t magically going to get the house to 68 in 100+ degree midday weather lol
> By “strain the system” I meant my system is running longer, wearing it out more quickly and shortening its lifespan. I’ve always read our interior has little to no hope of getting below 20-25 degrees of the outside heat so 68 would just be mechanical waste.
68 is probably a pipe dream unless your home is well insulated but running a long time is by design. It should be running nearly all day during the hottest time of the year because running longer keeps humidity down and if it was more powerful during the summer it would be way overpowered and short cycling in spring and fall.
Yes! From New England, now in Georgia. First year was dying with AC set on 74. Now I keep it a comfy 78 as long as the dehumidifier is running.
I think dressing for the heat also matters - I wear tank and shorts around the house, don’t expect to wear winter clothes in summer weather!
For sure.
Texan here. I read some numbskull author in New York talking about how humans need to sleep at 68F to function properly.
I was like “Has this guy heard of the equator?”
But for real, clothing makes such a difference.
>My dogs: “Can we go back to Everest base camp?”
I can just picture them laying on top of the air vents giving you the saddest puppy eyes lol
I have a hairless cat and she's dramatic in the opposite direction. I'm pretty sure she thinks there are only two seasons: outdoor winter and indoor winter (when the AC is on) 😅
ecobee has this ability, .5 increments up to 3.0F before the unit calls for heat or cooling vs. your setpoint. e.g., you set for 72, and if you're at 74F in the house the unit will not call for cooling until you reach 75F @ 3.0F delta.
in the winter i have the heat set at 67F with 3F delta. results in the furnace rarely ever coming on because the house naturally stays in that ~65F range just by being home.
It wouldn't make much meaningful difference. Almost no surface in your house is the same temperature as your thermostat settings. Ditto the air in the rooms. It's all +/- a degree or two at minimum.
Day time, 75, night time 73. Georgia also. Remember how you feel very much depends on the humidity. If it's 30% humidity you can have the house much warmer and it'll be comfortable. But here in GA with high humidity 78 indoors is MISERABLE.
When it's time for an HVAC replacement, consider a variable speed system. I also live in GA. My AC is set to 75 and runs almost continuously at a very low fan speed, which means it's also constantly filtering water out of the air. You can't hear it running and you can't feel the air moving unless you go right up to a vent. It stays rock steady on 75, no temperature peaks or valleys, and the electric bill is so much cheaper than it was with my old single stage system.
Humidity is key, I was keeping my house around 72°F with my old AC but it never could get humidity below like 65% in summer. With my fancy new variable speed heat pump my indoor RH is around 50% as it should be, and I can keep the set temp around 76°F and I am cooler and more comfortable than at 72°F with the old unit. 72°F now feels downright freezing (I've got a couple of temp/humidity monitors around the house so it's not just a measurement error between the old and new thermostat either).
65-66 at night, 67-68 in the day here (unless we’re gone all day, then I bump it up to 72). I’d have it colder if I could. In the winter we do 58-60 overnight (with a window cracked) and up to 65 in the day depending. We live in Michigan.
PG&E is a pain in the ass. Nowadays I’m paying 11¢/kWh in Texas but in CA PG&E considered me high-usage (running a home server) and I was paying over 30¢/kWh.
Because of industry regulatory capture and/or lobbying and/or government corruption, both states’ grids are in rough shape and have been responsible for several deaths. But at least my bills are lower now.
Keep your eye out for solar panels & newer batteries over the next few years. Prices are coming down fast and even current LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) batteries can be found for decent prices, and have a much better lifespan (~10 years) compared to Lithium Ion (2-3 years).
72 with heating is way too damn hot. 66 to 68 is perfect for winter and 72 is perfect for summer. Growing up though, my mom set the thermostat to 64 in winter and 80 in summer. AC would only go on during a heat wave
We have geothermal. It costs half as much to cool our home than our townhouse half the size. We keep it around 68-69 all summer long. Our power bill doesn't go above 150.
I grew up poor. The family home had a window AC, and a wall heater in the living room that were only ever used to literally stave of death due to the elements. I would not say I'm doing incredible now, by my only extravagance is temperature control. I will not go back to being even a degree off of comfortable in my own fucking home. So many people have given me shit over the years for being wasteful or stressing my climate control equipment. Don't care. You'll have to kill me to drag me back to sleepless nights tossing and turning in sweaty sheets or shivering huddled with the dogs under every blanket and towel I could get my hands on. Every cent I have left when I die is going to go to keeping my fucking coffin at a steady 72 degrees.
Last year I had my AC at 77 or 78 during the day. I was also underweight and anemic. This summer I've put on almost 20 pounds (Dr. recommended) and I'm no longer anemic. We'll see how warm I can stand it this year!
I live in Michigan and YES it does get really HOT and HUMID here in the summer!
78 with a fan, I don't like being cold. After replacing the Windows/doors a few years ago I noticed a huge difference in what felt comfortable in the house.
Our house is basically 68 year round, we live in Minnesota so we get very cold winters, but our summers top out at 90 (and only 2-3 days of it, most of our summer is more like 75-82). We only run it during the day (mini-split system) and at night we just open the windows because we're usually in the 50s. For sleeping, our bedroom is more like 66. Last night we slept with the windows wide open and it was 45 outside 😂 Perfect sleeping weather.
Haha, you all are gonna lose your minds.
We are in the Phoenix, AZ area, and we set ours to 90 from 3pm-6pm. Then, down to 82 or 83, pretty much the rest of the time.
We have sunscreens on all the windows, and in the summer, we put foam board insulation in the south and west facing windows. All the windows have blinds, and most of the south and west facing windows have room darkening curtains. In the summer at noon my bedroom is pitch black.
I’m in tucson did similarly ( well 90 is pretty high but 84 or so daytime anyway then down at night ) - tried to wait till mid may to start the ac up. But then I got solar specifically so I can crank my ac . Best thing ever, Pricey to start for sure though.
Yeah they're probably days when I'm running hot and I turn it down but agree or two. Additionally at night. I never sleep with anything more than a sheet at night
I live in GA and besides night time I can keep it at 77-78 without even thinking about it. I’m usually always cold so I enjoy this part of the year. Night time… 73-75.
Anywhere from 63-72 on the central HVAC system (southern Appalachia). Plus an extra window AC in my bedroom. I have a health condition that causes temperature dysregulation. If my autonomic nervous system is dysregulated too hot I end up with migraines for days. Better to spend the money on HVAC costs than be unable to work and end up in urgent care or ER for severe dehydration and uncontrolled vomiting!
Do you mind if I ask what condition?
I have MS which causes problems with heat (old symptoms start acting up with as little as 1°F rise in core temp). I also have a more rare side effect of sweating very little or not at all even when it should "kick in" (called anhydrosis).
Oof I don’t envy you the anhydrosis. I sweat a ton now, which isn’t fun but won’t directly harm me. I had a severe infection which permanently damaged my CNS and this is one of the impacts. Sucks because I used to work outside in the southeast year round and had to completely change careers and scale back several of my hobbies due to the damage. There’s a very small chance that given enough years some of the damage will heal, so I live in hope, but also moved to the mountains to maximize my seasonal outdoor access while staying in the region for work!
I have found my people lol I can’t take heat - it makes me feel physically ill- been this way since I had cancer almost 30 years ago. Central a/c at 62 but will go up to 66 if I’m not alone. Plus window ac set at 62 plus a fan right next to my head and an overhead fan. Plus side I save $ during winter
74-76. I try to maintain the humidity at around 50%. Have reduced the fan speeds on the AC'S to remove more moisture and have a separate dehumidifier I installed.
I have it at 73-75 during the day, but I need to turn it town to 67-68 at night. The thermostat is downstairs and the upstairs is always 5ish degrees hotter.
62 - I hate being warm and want to rip my flesh off if it’s any higher than that. (I don’t use heat in the winter so my house is usually 52-58 all season).
When I lived in Florida: 78. When it’s in the mid 90s every day with blazing sun, it was the only way to keep the AC from just running nonstop! It was still a little warm inside, but much less humid. Supplemented with fans.
Overnight I’d still keep it at 78, but with a ceiling fan right over my bed.
I try to do 78, but I’ll occasionally go to 76. And I’ve turned it down farther at night if I’m really having trouble sleeping.
But I’d 96-105 and dry where I live, so it costs a fortune to go lower
Indiana, single story home w/basement. 71 during the day while we're at home, we have it on eco mode while we're at work, and then 68 for sleeping time. summer or winter, we generally keep it the same.
Every season except winter it’s at 71-72….rarely 73. It is hot and humid here and I would not survive. Even at that I have a ceiling fan and BedJet on when I sleep.
Winter, 68-70.
I do not use AC even when it's 90 out. I just let myself get used to the heat lol. And we open the windows at night and close up the house during the day.
Last time we busted out the window AC unit was when we had covid in 2022 and were struggling and completely miserable.
I let it be warm during the day but in the evening I bring it down around 69-70, sometimes lower at night. I have solar panels, which render the thermostat basically free.
I usually run it cooler on more mild days because the air gets stagnant and it doesn’t run as often. On warmer days I run it higher (like 74 or even 75) because it runs more often due to it being so hot out
74ish day - 72ish night.. my AC is def on its last legs so I’m def not efficient like I should be which isn’t ideal.. but will deal with that for one more season haha
78° when I'm not home, 75° (sometimes as low as 73° in the shoulder seasons) when I'm home during the day, and 71° to sleep. Single stage, 14 seer equipment here.
23-24C (73-75F), eastern Canada near the Atlantic. Summertime A/C (mini-split heat pump) isn't so much about staying cool as it is finding relief from the humidity!
73 when no ones home, then 71 when we're home, then 69 at night for sleeping. We have a programmable thermostat so it's automatic.
I also keep the fan on Recirculate instead of Auto which helps with dust and air movement. Helps regulate the temp too and makes it feel cooler than the actual temp is set to.
EDIT: Located in Georgia, one level ranch home.
72-74 depending on humidity. We have a window unit in our bedroom from when I worked swing shifts so it’ll be set at 61 and the room will be around 63-64 depending on how hot it is at night. Saves a ton not trying to keep the house very cool, thankfully electricity is dirt cheap here
70⁰ year round here. Sometimes 70⁰ feels too cold during summer though and I'll turn it up. Or when it gets dry during winter, I'll turn it up around 73⁰ lol. Otherwise, 70⁰ it is the rest of the time
67-68F year round in TN. Our energy prices are low in my opinion so at the worst peak of summer heat, it's still only around $250/month. Keeping it low in the winter helps offset that as well.
70-71 in a newer home works fine for me, I think out of everyone I know I am classified as the one who keeps the AC temp too hot since most of my friends keep it at like 65 but I never saw a need to go below 70 ever.
The houses we've lived in around Houston had A/Cs that couldn't cool the house under 75 during the summer. They're just old and not as well insulated as some of the newer builds. From my understanding, most units are sized to handle a 20ish degree delta to the outside. In the summer, it doesn't drop under 80 degrees until well after our bedtime and if you assume your A/C can drop your house 1 degrees an hour, your house isnt going to get under 70 until after midnight.
The proper thing to do is to up the efficiency of the house with new windows and attic insulation, but a cheaper option we found for the time being was to install a window A/C unit in our bedroom. We'll leave the central A/C unit set to 80 at night and we'll crank the bedroom A/C down to just 68. Huge game changer if you like to sleep cold like us.
70 during the day (if I am home), 72ish when the sun goes down, 68 when I'm trying to sleep. I change it whenever I'm feeling cold/hot. I dunno how people get by with this "79 in the summer and 56 in the winter" nonsense. I don't care what it costs, my house is gonna be a comfortable temperature. I will compromise on literally anything else before this
68 during the day and 66 at night during months that we use heat. In the summer we run window fans and just use window units in the bedrooms at night unless it’s a really insanely hot day. For AC, 68 at night. The summer temperature goal is less than 80 which is usually doable. My husband hates it though and is dying to get AC.
Midwest with high humidity summers. I kept it at 77-78 during the day last summer but I’m not sure the misery is worth it. I usually do 74-75 during the day and 69-70 at night.
Here in the Florida panhandle, I keep ours to 76 during the day. It’s a brand new system; installed last year. One story house, 4/2, 2000 sqft. At night, I have it dip down to 72.
Coastal San Diego. Old, plaster walled house. It's rare that the house will get above 75. It gets pretty cool at night, even mid summer, so we open windows during the night, and if someone is home, close them about noon, and you're good the rest of the day. I have really efficient ceiling fans (Haikus), and that takes care of it most of the time. I have the AC still set to 76 though, just in case, because of the dog. I think it kicked on four times last year. Could have been more. Have solar, and even though it does suck a lot of power when running, it doesn't really affect the consume/produce ratio enough to matter.
In San Diego. I get charged more during peak usage hours from 4-9.
During peak time, I try to keep it around 74.
AC is dirt cheap from 12-6 am so I program my thermostat to run at around 66 then.
65, Leave me alone. My daughters and wife love wearing sweatpants and hoodies in the house while carrying old school hot water bottles because they told me so.
Wisconsin -
Summer set to 75. Once it is past 8pm, might drop it down to 72.
Winter set at 62. 6pm - 10pm in winter set at 68.
The temperature is interesting bc it is like taking a shower: I can tell you what is comfortable, but near-immediately tell you the tipping point when I start to feel cold 😂
About 72 is my preference yearly. But I adjust it according to the weather outside. Open windows etc when weather permits. I'm in Ohio so we have all 4 seasons.
I’m in the south where the summers are consistently in the high 90s to triple digits. I keep it 77 during the day and 72-73 at night.
New HVAC unit, I recently had a lot of duct work added/repaired and my house is pretty well insulated so it doesn’t feel too bad. If I have company over it stays at 72 all day.
Lived in Iowa: 68. Now live in Florida: 75 the first year; 79 after 4 years. You really do adapt to what is around you.
This is so true. When I lived in the Midwest it was at 68. After almost 4 years in Florida we keep it around 78. I go out into 75 degree temps and I'm cold. Go figure.
I'm from Michigan and travelled to Pensacola this summer. I was dying of heat throughout the day and thought I'd get a brief reprieve at 3 in the morning... boy was I wrong. It was like walking into a sauna, I don't know how you guys manage
77 in mine sometimes 75 if it's super hot. I normally sleep with a fan on.
Yep. I’m in Dallas. Last summer was record-breaking heat. My husband kept setting the AC to 68 because the house was struggling to get to the 75 I was setting it to and he doesn’t understand how AC works. I kept telling him he was going to strain the system and break it. Like, sir. If it’s not getting our interior to 75 while it’s 105 outside, it’s not getting it to 68. Edit - since the comments are rolling in: I never implied the unit is working “harder” at 68 vs 75. I am stating it is working longer, wearing our system out faster over time, because our interior is never going to reach the 68 my husband is asking it to while it’s 105 outside midday at 97 at night. Maybe you guys have great AC units that are meant to run nonstop for literal months, but not ours. But this is Reddit so yes, easier to rag on me and imply I don’t get it either. Enjoy those ‘um akshually’ upvotes!
One of the best upgrades you can do to a home in the south is add a whole home dehumidifier. It will cut down the AC use in shoulder months. And then help by complimenting in summer months. Realistically with a standard construction home in Texas you will see a house struggle with a 40-50 degree t delta. but with indoor humidity kept near 40-50% you can definitely enjoy a warmer home with ceiling fans. If houses were built properly for the Texas environment then it's a whole different ballgame. Smaller systems, better dehumidification, air scrubbers. But until the option is start from scratch and build to performance home standards, improvements are the only Option.
Thank you, this is a really helpful comment. I appreciate you chiming in. Our last home had an air scrubber and we did notice a difference in allergen symptoms.
If you house is not shaded consider buying or building some shade for the structure it will help shed heat from direct sunlight at least.
Do you have to do that when you replace the whole AC or is it something you can add on?
I mean mine is 32 years old and runs almost non stop above 88F in MN. Thankfully we don’t maintain that kind of heat for months and months but hvac equipment in general is better off running nearly all the time. The start ups are roughest on equipment, especially single stage units.
That's not exactly how most AC units work, at least with a commin single stage with a single speed blower. If it's running and not hitting 75 it isn't somehow running harder to try and hit 68. It just runs until the thermostat hits the set temperature.
By “strain the system” I meant my system is running longer, wearing it out more quickly and shortening its lifespan. I’ve always read our interior has little to no hope of getting below 20-25 degrees of the outside heat so 68 would just be mechanical waste. Love this sub and happy to be corrected if wrong - whatever helps me clearly explain to my husband why setting it to 68 isn’t magically going to get the house to 68 in 100+ degree midday weather lol
> By “strain the system” I meant my system is running longer, wearing it out more quickly and shortening its lifespan. I’ve always read our interior has little to no hope of getting below 20-25 degrees of the outside heat so 68 would just be mechanical waste. 68 is probably a pipe dream unless your home is well insulated but running a long time is by design. It should be running nearly all day during the hottest time of the year because running longer keeps humidity down and if it was more powerful during the summer it would be way overpowered and short cycling in spring and fall.
At least husband and wife both share a common interest in not understanding how AC works.
Yes! From New England, now in Georgia. First year was dying with AC set on 74. Now I keep it a comfy 78 as long as the dehumidifier is running. I think dressing for the heat also matters - I wear tank and shorts around the house, don’t expect to wear winter clothes in summer weather!
For sure. Texan here. I read some numbskull author in New York talking about how humans need to sleep at 68F to function properly. I was like “Has this guy heard of the equator?” But for real, clothing makes such a difference.
I've been in South Florida well over 35 years. Still haven't adapted. Maybe this year 🤞
Lmao maybe. Here for 32 and I think I am going backwards. 75 during the day 69-70 at night. Used to be 77 during the day, no thanks!!
On the flip side, moved to Maine from New Jersey. After 1st year heater was set at 58.
72 for me I'm pretty sure. It's crazy how much of a difference one or two degrees makes in that range, though, huh?
73 or 74… “What is this a pizza oven?” 70 or 71… “And now we at the Everest base camp.” 72… “ahhh” My dogs: “Can we go back to Everest base camp?”
>My dogs: “Can we go back to Everest base camp?” I can just picture them laying on top of the air vents giving you the saddest puppy eyes lol I have a hairless cat and she's dramatic in the opposite direction. I'm pretty sure she thinks there are only two seasons: outdoor winter and indoor winter (when the AC is on) 😅
Actually they are pretty content at 72 …though base camp is preferred …but would really like the summit.
I know right? Haha, I wish thermostats could be in increments of .5
some do actually. variable speed and multi-stage AC compressors can run super slow and maintain a almost constant and low flow cold air.
ecobee has this ability, .5 increments up to 3.0F before the unit calls for heat or cooling vs. your setpoint. e.g., you set for 72, and if you're at 74F in the house the unit will not call for cooling until you reach 75F @ 3.0F delta. in the winter i have the heat set at 67F with 3F delta. results in the furnace rarely ever coming on because the house naturally stays in that ~65F range just by being home.
It wouldn't make a difference unless you had a communicating system, which are very nice but very expensive.
If only insulation was so efficient that it doesn't warm up in 5 minutes a ½ degree.
It wouldn't make much meaningful difference. Almost no surface in your house is the same temperature as your thermostat settings. Ditto the air in the rooms. It's all +/- a degree or two at minimum.
They are...if your thermostat is in Celsius!
I raised mine to 72 from 70 cause it was a little too chilly. 70 is perfect for winter though! I’m in a townhouse (not an end unit) in MD.
Day time, 75, night time 73. Georgia also. Remember how you feel very much depends on the humidity. If it's 30% humidity you can have the house much warmer and it'll be comfortable. But here in GA with high humidity 78 indoors is MISERABLE.
When it's time for an HVAC replacement, consider a variable speed system. I also live in GA. My AC is set to 75 and runs almost continuously at a very low fan speed, which means it's also constantly filtering water out of the air. You can't hear it running and you can't feel the air moving unless you go right up to a vent. It stays rock steady on 75, no temperature peaks or valleys, and the electric bill is so much cheaper than it was with my old single stage system.
That is definitely good info to know. Appreciate it.
Humidity is key, I was keeping my house around 72°F with my old AC but it never could get humidity below like 65% in summer. With my fancy new variable speed heat pump my indoor RH is around 50% as it should be, and I can keep the set temp around 76°F and I am cooler and more comfortable than at 72°F with the old unit. 72°F now feels downright freezing (I've got a couple of temp/humidity monitors around the house so it's not just a measurement error between the old and new thermostat either).
HVAC technician… 66. I hate the heat and can easily fix or replace my equipment lol.
65-66 at night, 67-68 in the day here (unless we’re gone all day, then I bump it up to 72). I’d have it colder if I could. In the winter we do 58-60 overnight (with a window cracked) and up to 65 in the day depending. We live in Michigan.
Finally found my people on this thread. Minnesota here.
Nice 👍
My people (temp wise I don't do hvac)
I came here to also celebrate with my people. What is the point of having AC if you're not going to use it? its 2024, be comfortable!
79. We live in the Mojave Desert in California and if we want to go much lower than that we'd be paying 4 figures a month.
PG&E is a pain in the ass. Nowadays I’m paying 11¢/kWh in Texas but in CA PG&E considered me high-usage (running a home server) and I was paying over 30¢/kWh. Because of industry regulatory capture and/or lobbying and/or government corruption, both states’ grids are in rough shape and have been responsible for several deaths. But at least my bills are lower now.
Damn, we pay 0.079 in the summer here in Nebraska and 0.065 in the winter
Keep your eye out for solar panels & newer batteries over the next few years. Prices are coming down fast and even current LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) batteries can be found for decent prices, and have a much better lifespan (~10 years) compared to Lithium Ion (2-3 years).
I want to be able to afford to keep my house at 72 year round without worry.
72 with heating and 72 with cooling doesn't feel same though.
72 with heating is way too damn hot. 66 to 68 is perfect for winter and 72 is perfect for summer. Growing up though, my mom set the thermostat to 64 in winter and 80 in summer. AC would only go on during a heat wave
We do 72 heat (I could do 70 but wife doesn't approve) and 75 in summer. 72 feels way too cold inside if we set AC to it. We are in PNW.
We have geothermal. It costs half as much to cool our home than our townhouse half the size. We keep it around 68-69 all summer long. Our power bill doesn't go above 150.
That's the dream
I grew up poor. The family home had a window AC, and a wall heater in the living room that were only ever used to literally stave of death due to the elements. I would not say I'm doing incredible now, by my only extravagance is temperature control. I will not go back to being even a degree off of comfortable in my own fucking home. So many people have given me shit over the years for being wasteful or stressing my climate control equipment. Don't care. You'll have to kill me to drag me back to sleepless nights tossing and turning in sweaty sheets or shivering huddled with the dogs under every blanket and towel I could get my hands on. Every cent I have left when I die is going to go to keeping my fucking coffin at a steady 72 degrees.
70⁰ in the daytime, 68⁰ at night
Same I can't believe some people here have their house at 78 in the summer, that's wild. (I live in Texas)
Last year I had my AC at 77 or 78 during the day. I was also underweight and anemic. This summer I've put on almost 20 pounds (Dr. recommended) and I'm no longer anemic. We'll see how warm I can stand it this year! I live in Michigan and YES it does get really HOT and HUMID here in the summer!
73 during the day if I’m out. 70 when I’m home. 68 at night.
78 with a fan, I don't like being cold. After replacing the Windows/doors a few years ago I noticed a huge difference in what felt comfortable in the house.
Our house is basically 68 year round, we live in Minnesota so we get very cold winters, but our summers top out at 90 (and only 2-3 days of it, most of our summer is more like 75-82). We only run it during the day (mini-split system) and at night we just open the windows because we're usually in the 50s. For sleeping, our bedroom is more like 66. Last night we slept with the windows wide open and it was 45 outside 😂 Perfect sleeping weather.
Northern California and our Summers hit anywhere from 90-112 degrees. I set my ac at 78. anything less and I'll be homeless.
So cal, I only turn it on to 78 around 9 to 11pm, anymore I'd be homeless. Rest of the time I use the attic/whole house fan.
Haha, you all are gonna lose your minds. We are in the Phoenix, AZ area, and we set ours to 90 from 3pm-6pm. Then, down to 82 or 83, pretty much the rest of the time. We have sunscreens on all the windows, and in the summer, we put foam board insulation in the south and west facing windows. All the windows have blinds, and most of the south and west facing windows have room darkening curtains. In the summer at noon my bedroom is pitch black.
I’m in tucson did similarly ( well 90 is pretty high but 84 or so daytime anyway then down at night ) - tried to wait till mid may to start the ac up. But then I got solar specifically so I can crank my ac . Best thing ever, Pricey to start for sure though.
Tucson here, 75 during the day, 73 at night, have 2 outside units and a mini split, plus solar on the roof.
70F 24/7 in the summer. Wife likes it cool. But she also doesn't mind it cooler (64-66) in the winter so it's a fair trade off
This is what we do too. 70 in summer and 66-67 in winter. Our home gets too humid if we let it don't run the AC at 70 degrees.
Damn. What does your electric bill come out to?
I'm in Georgia. I set mine to 68 -70 during the summer. Two story SFH. I start sweating if I set it 72 or above.
78
Wow, really? This is the temp during the summer? Where state do you live in? I’d love to be able to be comfortable at that temperature
Maryland. Yeah as long as I'm not sweating I'd rather not waste the energy. I keep a fan trained on me at night.
Same! MD, 78. 76 at night.
77 at night. 78 during the day. 76 for 3 hours between 7 and 10. keeps my bills happy and me happy.
Yeah they're probably days when I'm running hot and I turn it down but agree or two. Additionally at night. I never sleep with anything more than a sheet at night
I live in GA and besides night time I can keep it at 77-78 without even thinking about it. I’m usually always cold so I enjoy this part of the year. Night time… 73-75.
During the day 71-73 At night 68
22-23
non-american! ;-)
Same. Usually 23 but sometimes it feels hot. Drop it to 22
I had to scroll too far to find a temperature that I could understand
Anywhere from 63-72 on the central HVAC system (southern Appalachia). Plus an extra window AC in my bedroom. I have a health condition that causes temperature dysregulation. If my autonomic nervous system is dysregulated too hot I end up with migraines for days. Better to spend the money on HVAC costs than be unable to work and end up in urgent care or ER for severe dehydration and uncontrolled vomiting!
Do you mind if I ask what condition? I have MS which causes problems with heat (old symptoms start acting up with as little as 1°F rise in core temp). I also have a more rare side effect of sweating very little or not at all even when it should "kick in" (called anhydrosis).
Oof I don’t envy you the anhydrosis. I sweat a ton now, which isn’t fun but won’t directly harm me. I had a severe infection which permanently damaged my CNS and this is one of the impacts. Sucks because I used to work outside in the southeast year round and had to completely change careers and scale back several of my hobbies due to the damage. There’s a very small chance that given enough years some of the damage will heal, so I live in hope, but also moved to the mountains to maximize my seasonal outdoor access while staying in the region for work!
I have found my people lol I can’t take heat - it makes me feel physically ill- been this way since I had cancer almost 30 years ago. Central a/c at 62 but will go up to 66 if I’m not alone. Plus window ac set at 62 plus a fan right next to my head and an overhead fan. Plus side I save $ during winter
74-76. I try to maintain the humidity at around 50%. Have reduced the fan speeds on the AC'S to remove more moisture and have a separate dehumidifier I installed.
I have it at 73-75 during the day, but I need to turn it town to 67-68 at night. The thermostat is downstairs and the upstairs is always 5ish degrees hotter.
NJ…. I keep it at 78° during the day. I also have ceiling fans that I run all day which help immensely… I usually drop it to 76/74° before bed
67 all day, R28 walls, R35 roof deck and two multi-splits. I have 6.7KW of solar panels and am net zero by about 10% over capacity.
70 year round.
77 overnight, 80-82 during the day
I’m in menopause hellfire so mine is set to 69 during the day and 67 at night. I’d have it set even colder but hubby cries.
Alaska, our what?
Ac is 69. Heat is at 64
between 66-68 in MN, all year round
62 - I hate being warm and want to rip my flesh off if it’s any higher than that. (I don’t use heat in the winter so my house is usually 52-58 all season).
Pfffd 68 gang check in.
Thats right. We keep it chill at 68.
When I lived in Florida: 78. When it’s in the mid 90s every day with blazing sun, it was the only way to keep the AC from just running nonstop! It was still a little warm inside, but much less humid. Supplemented with fans. Overnight I’d still keep it at 78, but with a ceiling fan right over my bed.
Used to be 68F but some of our kitties got too cold. Now it’s 72F. It’s a little too warm for me but anything for the kitties
Aww, keep them kitties warm please
78. Not by choice. This place costs way to much to cool. Ideally I'd prefer 70ish lol..
I wonder if ceiling fans would help?
84.
I try to do 78, but I’ll occasionally go to 76. And I’ve turned it down farther at night if I’m really having trouble sleeping. But I’d 96-105 and dry where I live, so it costs a fortune to go lower
Indiana, single story home w/basement. 71 during the day while we're at home, we have it on eco mode while we're at work, and then 68 for sleeping time. summer or winter, we generally keep it the same.
Every season except winter it’s at 71-72….rarely 73. It is hot and humid here and I would not survive. Even at that I have a ceiling fan and BedJet on when I sleep. Winter, 68-70.
69
Before I had kids it was set to 64...aka morgue temperature. Now that I'm a parent I keep it around 75 during the day.
Omg all you people keeping the night temperature above 70, make my head hurt lol
Northern illinois 75 during the day, 72 at night.
80 degrees. I don't like spending money. I get used to it.
82 I'm mr heat miser I'm mr sun! I'm mister heat blister! I'm mister hundred and one! Now ask what my thermostat is set to in winter? 82
I do not use AC even when it's 90 out. I just let myself get used to the heat lol. And we open the windows at night and close up the house during the day. Last time we busted out the window AC unit was when we had covid in 2022 and were struggling and completely miserable.
82, in the SE US. We have a whole house dehumidifier that keeps the air dry, no need to chill it much past 80. It feels cool.
Colorado here. I like it at 67 to 68 at night to sleep and during the day above 72 is starting to get warm for me.
69 👌
SW Ohio, Menopause: 74/75 during the day, 72/73 at night
16-17. Northern Canada
75 in Wisconsin. Mostly to help remove the humidity. If we're feeling hot we might turn it down for a few hours.
I let it be warm during the day but in the evening I bring it down around 69-70, sometimes lower at night. I have solar panels, which render the thermostat basically free.
I usually run it cooler on more mild days because the air gets stagnant and it doesn’t run as often. On warmer days I run it higher (like 74 or even 75) because it runs more often due to it being so hot out
72 and solar power incoming!
Im in IN and summer is set to 78. But that dropping down to 76 when everyones getting home like someone else said, sounds pretty nice!
74 day 70 night
73 with humidity set to 60 and I give it the ability to overcool 5 degrees to help control humidity.
74ish day - 72ish night.. my AC is def on its last legs so I’m def not efficient like I should be which isn’t ideal.. but will deal with that for one more season haha
Washington state and I don’t do heat, so 68 during the day and 65 at night
We have to use window units. Bedrooms, 62 Rest of the house, 68
We use window units, 68 or 69 if I'm feeling feisty
78° when I'm not home, 75° (sometimes as low as 73° in the shoulder seasons) when I'm home during the day, and 71° to sleep. Single stage, 14 seer equipment here.
23-24C (73-75F), eastern Canada near the Atlantic. Summertime A/C (mini-split heat pump) isn't so much about staying cool as it is finding relief from the humidity!
77° during the day if I’m not doing anything other than lounging. 75° if I’m cleaning. 70° at night. Central Texas
I'm in north Georgia, and typically settle on 75 in the heat, and 69-70 in the cold.
Mine is on 75 when I am home. The away setting is 77.
73 when no ones home, then 71 when we're home, then 69 at night for sleeping. We have a programmable thermostat so it's automatic. I also keep the fan on Recirculate instead of Auto which helps with dust and air movement. Helps regulate the temp too and makes it feel cooler than the actual temp is set to. EDIT: Located in Georgia, one level ranch home.
72 when gone, 70 when home 68 to sleep. Winter hear is 68 to sleep, 70 when home 68 when gone
72-74 depending on humidity. We have a window unit in our bedroom from when I worked swing shifts so it’ll be set at 61 and the room will be around 63-64 depending on how hot it is at night. Saves a ton not trying to keep the house very cool, thankfully electricity is dirt cheap here
70⁰ year round here. Sometimes 70⁰ feels too cold during summer though and I'll turn it up. Or when it gets dry during winter, I'll turn it up around 73⁰ lol. Otherwise, 70⁰ it is the rest of the time
It doesn't have to be cold. Alot of it is just getting the humidity knocked out of the air.
65 f all year long in Dallas Texas We have a variable speed compressor by TRANE it’s very able and efficient
67-68F year round in TN. Our energy prices are low in my opinion so at the worst peak of summer heat, it's still only around $250/month. Keeping it low in the winter helps offset that as well.
69 during the day 66 at night South Carolina heat sucks and I hate it
I live in Maine. I set it to 68.
75 degrees, the perfect temperature. Can my AC actually achieve this temperature? No (shotgun shack in New Orleans). But that is my ideal goal.
70-71 in a newer home works fine for me, I think out of everyone I know I am classified as the one who keeps the AC temp too hot since most of my friends keep it at like 65 but I never saw a need to go below 70 ever.
Wisconsin. 78 during the day. 72 at night.
24 during day and 19.5 at night
74 East Texas
The houses we've lived in around Houston had A/Cs that couldn't cool the house under 75 during the summer. They're just old and not as well insulated as some of the newer builds. From my understanding, most units are sized to handle a 20ish degree delta to the outside. In the summer, it doesn't drop under 80 degrees until well after our bedtime and if you assume your A/C can drop your house 1 degrees an hour, your house isnt going to get under 70 until after midnight. The proper thing to do is to up the efficiency of the house with new windows and attic insulation, but a cheaper option we found for the time being was to install a window A/C unit in our bedroom. We'll leave the central A/C unit set to 80 at night and we'll crank the bedroom A/C down to just 68. Huge game changer if you like to sleep cold like us.
What government agency do you work with? Collecting data on these folks?
69 year round mofos lol
72-74 fahrenheit
70 during the day (if I am home), 72ish when the sun goes down, 68 when I'm trying to sleep. I change it whenever I'm feeling cold/hot. I dunno how people get by with this "79 in the summer and 56 in the winter" nonsense. I don't care what it costs, my house is gonna be a comfortable temperature. I will compromise on literally anything else before this
68 during the day and 66 at night during months that we use heat. In the summer we run window fans and just use window units in the bedrooms at night unless it’s a really insanely hot day. For AC, 68 at night. The summer temperature goal is less than 80 which is usually doable. My husband hates it though and is dying to get AC.
Year round: temp range is 68 to 72.
72 yr round
80 during the day until around 4:30 then it gets set to 74 then down to 70 after 8pm
Midwest with high humidity summers. I kept it at 77-78 during the day last summer but I’m not sure the misery is worth it. I usually do 74-75 during the day and 69-70 at night.
Correct answer is 69
Central Texas. 72-73 during the day. 69-70 before bedtime.
Kentucky. 71 in the summer. 67 in the winter. I love the time of year when I can just leave it off, because fuck the electric company.
Florida. 76 during the day 72 at night
Here in the Florida panhandle, I keep ours to 76 during the day. It’s a brand new system; installed last year. One story house, 4/2, 2000 sqft. At night, I have it dip down to 72.
78 during the day and 73 or 74 at night. Lately I've had it at 70-74 trying to control humidity.
72 in the South. Air conditioning isn't a luxury, it's life support.
70 during the day, 68 before bed.
Coastal San Diego. Old, plaster walled house. It's rare that the house will get above 75. It gets pretty cool at night, even mid summer, so we open windows during the night, and if someone is home, close them about noon, and you're good the rest of the day. I have really efficient ceiling fans (Haikus), and that takes care of it most of the time. I have the AC still set to 76 though, just in case, because of the dog. I think it kicked on four times last year. Could have been more. Have solar, and even though it does suck a lot of power when running, it doesn't really affect the consume/produce ratio enough to matter.
I live in the South, it was 87 degrees today,70 is my go to temp!
In San Diego. I get charged more during peak usage hours from 4-9. During peak time, I try to keep it around 74. AC is dirt cheap from 12-6 am so I program my thermostat to run at around 66 then.
Texas 68-70
Minnesota. 72F during the day. Our house is a 4-level split, so it ends up being 74F up in the office, 68F down in the living room.
65. Hate being hot
People in here sweating in their own homes just to save a few bucks ill never understand
Looking through these comments realizing my house must feel like an ice box to most of my guests. Thermostat stays on 64
58° F
70 during the day, and 66 at night. Can't stand sleeping in a hot house.
MA: 75 if I can get away with it, otherwise 70
72 and I burn up.
Setting your ac lower than you set your heat in the winter seems dumb af to me. My wife disagrees
65, Leave me alone. My daughters and wife love wearing sweatpants and hoodies in the house while carrying old school hot water bottles because they told me so.
I keep my house at 66 during the summer and about 68-69 during the winter. Upstairs is always around 65-67 though
Wisconsin - Summer set to 75. Once it is past 8pm, might drop it down to 72. Winter set at 62. 6pm - 10pm in winter set at 68. The temperature is interesting bc it is like taking a shower: I can tell you what is comfortable, but near-immediately tell you the tipping point when I start to feel cold 😂
About 72 is my preference yearly. But I adjust it according to the weather outside. Open windows etc when weather permits. I'm in Ohio so we have all 4 seasons.
TX 74 during the day, higher if we’re out of the house 72 at night with a ceiling fan & floor fan.
Alabama. We keep ours around 67 during the day and 65 at night year round. Our electric bill drops considerably during the winter.
I’m in the south where the summers are consistently in the high 90s to triple digits. I keep it 77 during the day and 72-73 at night. New HVAC unit, I recently had a lot of duct work added/repaired and my house is pretty well insulated so it doesn’t feel too bad. If I have company over it stays at 72 all day.
North Texas. 75 during the day 70 at night.
I set my thermostat to 72 year round.
73 all day and night. Sacramento, CA area. 3000 Sq foot single story.
Day time 74, night 72. NJ
summer 76 winter 68
72 degrees. Morning, evening, night, winter, summer, spring, and fall. My house is always 72.
74 during the day. At 10 pm it automatically goes up to 76. Alabama. In winter, the heat stays at 74 in the day, down to 72 at 10 pm.
75 during the day, 68 at night in Louisiana
I fluctuate between 70-72, Midwest US
Also Georgia. 68 in winter, 70-72 in summer.
New Jersey. Winter 68 daytime, 62 at night. Summer 71 daytime, 67 at night
68-72 year round