David Espejo/Getty Images
Electric bills have become a growing source of budgetary frustration for many people over the last few years. Energy prices have been rising across the country, and the heatwaves that have stretched across the country recently certainly aren’t helping things. In turn, cooling costs are one of the biggest contributors to those high summer utility bills, especially in regions where air conditioners run for hours each day. So, it makes sense to look for practical ways to reduce those costs, especially if you want to avoid investing in a new, more efficient HVAC system.
One of the first places you may want to turn is the thermostat to adjust your settings. After all, an air conditioner doesn’t just consume electricity based on how old it is or how hot it gets outside. The way it’s programmed to operate can also have a meaningful impact on how long it runs, how hard it works, and ultimately, how much you pay each month for your electric bill. Even small adjustments can add up over the course of a billing cycle, particularly for households that rely heavily on central air.
Not every thermostat setting is created equal, of course, but in many cases, simply making a few strategic changes could help lower your monthly electric bill while keeping your home comfortable. You’ll need to know which settings matter, though, if you want to keep the costs under control.
Schedule a free, same-day HVAC service quote online today.
Which AC settings can actually lower your electric bill?
Not every setting carries equal weight. Some changes save a measurable share of your cooling costs every month; others barely register. Here’s how the common ones actually stack up:
Your baseline temperature setting
The baseline temperature setting on your thermostat is the single biggest lever you have to pull, and the math behind the savings is well established. Every degree you raise the thermostat saves about 3% on your cooling costs, so turning your thermostat up by a couple of degrees could have a big impact on your electric bill. Stack four or five degrees on top of that, and the savings compound into a noticeable dent by the end of a billing cycle.
Learn more about your HVAC maintenance options online now.
Automated schedules and setbacks
Manually remembering to adjust the temperature every time you leave for work or head to bed is unrealistic, which is why an automated schedule does more for a bill than the setpoint alone. Raising the thermostat 7 to 10 degrees for roughly eight hours a day can trim heating and cooling costs by as much as 10% a year. Smart thermostats that learn a household’s patterns tend to land savings closer to 8% on average, a modest but consistent reduction that requires no ongoing effort once it’s set.
Fan mode: auto, not on
Most thermostats offer a choice between “auto,” which runs the blower fan only while the system is actively heating or cooling, and “on,” which keeps it running continuously. Auto is the more efficient setting by a wide margin, though. The fan motor is one of the larger electricity draws in an HVAC system, and running it around the clock adds up even when the compressor itself isn’t working. Auto also lets condensation drain off the cooling coil between cycles rather than getting blown back into the house, which matters for the next setting on this list.
Don’t ignore issues with humidity
Two homes at the identical thermostat setting can feel completely different depending on how much moisture is in the air, and a muggy house often gets pushed colder than necessary just to feel comfortable. Systems with a dedicated dehumidify or “dry” mode, along with keeping the fan on auto so moisture can drain properly, let you hold a slightly higher temperature setting while still feeling just as cool, turning humidity control into an indirect but real form of savings.
What’s the one AC setting that doesn’t help?
Contrary to popular belief, setting the thermostat far below the actual target temperature to force faster cooling is the one habit on this list worth dropping entirely. Central air conditioning systems cool at a fixed rate regardless of the number selected, so the only effect of an aggressive setpoint is overshooting the comfortable temperature and running longer than necessary to get there — meaning that approach is pure waste with no upside.
The bottom line
Adjusting your air conditioning settings won’t mirror what a more efficient system or a well-sealed house can do for a utility bill, but it’s a lever that costs nothing and potentially works immediately. A modestly higher baseline temperature, an automated setback schedule, a fan set to auto instead of on and attention to humidity add up to real, stackable savings — while chasing a colder number by cranking the dial down does nothing but run up the bill.