# where do you live, and what do you keep your A/C set on?



## laurac260 (Aug 9, 2009)

They guy on the news last week said you should keep your AC temp on 78 to conserve electricity.  

So, where do YOU live, and what do you set yours on?



We live in SW OH, and keep it at 78 during the day, 77 at night, BUT, we keep our AC blower on 24 hours a day.  We do this because we have an allergen filter, but I've also noticed that it keeps the house at a constant temp throughout.  

How about you?


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## swift (Aug 9, 2009)

Sonoma County, California


What AC??? The heat doesn't we generally only get 2 weeks out of the year where you really wish you had it.


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## KCI (Aug 9, 2009)

We live in SC, near Hilton Head Island and we keep ours on 78 and use ceiling fans in bedroom at night and kitchen when we are in there.


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## BocaBum99 (Aug 9, 2009)

Honolulu, HI.  We set the A/C on OFF when the trade winds are blowing.  78 in the afternoons when it is hot and we are getting Kona Winds.


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## jamstew (Aug 9, 2009)

Central Texas -- usually 78 during the day, but 72 at night in the bedroom area.


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## Glynda (Aug 9, 2009)

*73*

NC and SC...73.


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## JoAnn (Aug 9, 2009)

SW FL....inland about 30 miles from Ft. Myers.  77 24/7 once the weather starts  heating up.  We are usually a little warmer here than on the beach.


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## kjsgrammy (Aug 9, 2009)

Laingsburg, Michigan (approx. 20 miles east of Lansing).  First time we've turned ours on this summer.  Supposed to be in the 90's today.  We've had a fairly cool summer, so no need for A/C prior to today.

Whoops, forgot to add that we have it set at 78.


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## philsfan (Aug 9, 2009)

Gilbert, AZ - southeast of Phoenix, 80 during the day, 82 at night.


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## silverfox82 (Aug 9, 2009)

On the beach, south shore of Long Island. The wind starts to blow in the afternoon off the ocean, most night sleep under a blanket, no AC


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## MelBay (Aug 9, 2009)

Heart of America - KCMO, and "comfort" index is 102+ today.  When it's that hot we keep it at 80 during the day (ceiling fans make it tolerable) and 77 at night.  Our new windows made a huge difference in our light bills and indoor temps...


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## stevedmatt (Aug 9, 2009)

Southern NJ. Usually 76 or 77, but the Mrs. is pregnant, so we've been at 75 most of this summer. On particularly warm days, I run the fan for a few hours before bedtime to get the upstairs temperature equal to the downstairs. It's always a few degrees hotter upstairs.


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## Hophop4 (Aug 9, 2009)

We are in Southwest Houston and have had too many days at 100.  We keep our temp at 77/78.


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Aug 9, 2009)

I guess we violate all rules, usually 74. Plus ceiling fan at night.
Liz


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## KauaiMark (Aug 9, 2009)

*From: San Jose, CA*

Don't have A/C. 

On hot nights we usually open all the upstairs windows and run the furnace blower fan all night. 

Most summer days we have the ocean marine layer that moves in during the night that keeps the temps in the mid-60's until it burns off by noon the next day. 

If we can get the temp in the house to 66 or 68, we close up the house with the furnace blower fan running. It generally doesn't get warmer than 78 in the house during the day.

On those days when it's really hot and no marine layer to cool us off, we might hang out in the mall/movies during the heat of the day and the pool after sunset.

P.S. utility costs are VERY high in this area of Calif.


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## GadgetRick (Aug 9, 2009)

Yikes! 78...80...82!!?? I'd be melting! 

Live in Northern NJ and have it at 72 during the day and 69 at night and I'm still a little warm...


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## laurac260 (Aug 9, 2009)

we moved from Sw Oh to Tampa a few years back.  Hubby wanted to keep the temp at 74 we first got there, until we got the first bill!  74 degrees in Tampa in summer means the ac is on 24/7.  We slowly moved it up, till we finally got to 78.  I noticed that people in the south typically keep their homes warmer than ppl in the north.  If it is 95 and 100% humidity, 80 degrees in the house feels pretty cool. 

In Buffalo, my MIL keeps her temp at 72.  But then it rarely gets above 80 there.   When I got to her house, I freeze!  When we lived there, we rarely ran the AC.  I guess it depends on what you are used to.  

Now that we are back in OH, my neighbors think our house is too hot!  :rofl: (my two year old wanted me to add the icons):hysterical:


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## Banker (Aug 9, 2009)

We are just a tad bit north of Atlanta, Ga and we normally have ours set on 73!!!!  My husband has always liked it cold and now for the past few years, I get hot flashes so I like it there also, but never used to!!!!  My mother moved to an independent senior living apartment complex down here to Canton, Ga last year from the southwestern PA area, she hardly ever even has her air on unless I visit her.  She keeps hers on 79 or 80....I just about always have sweat on my face if I stay too long, plus she always keeps her windows open and lets in the hot Atlanta air!!!  Growing up in the 60's and 70's in PA, we never had air conditioning in our house!  My parents did not install it probably until sometime in the 80's decade.  We would sleep with the windows open and I think we used a box fan also....I never knew any better...and also my first car did not even come with air conditioning, a Plymouth Horizon TC3 (I think that is what it was called).


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## Jaybee (Aug 9, 2009)

We live in So. CA, inland, and generally keep the temp set at 82/83.  Our house is very well insulated, and if I close it up early in the morning, we don't normally need the A/C until around noon when it's over 100.  This is the 3rd day in a row it's been in the upper 90's, with a breeze, and we haven't needed it at all. Oh, joy!
I think that in the high humidity areas, it needs to be set lower to be comfortable.  I can't remember how we kept it set when we lived in FL, but I sure remember the bills!

Liz....74°?  In Wrightwood?  I am surprised.


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## Karen G (Aug 9, 2009)

We keep it at 76 here in Nevada 24/7 and we use ceiling fans at night in the bedroom and celing fan in the family room when we're in there. I also have a fan going in my laundry room/office when I'm at my computer.


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## Kozman (Aug 9, 2009)

Detroit area.  I haven't had my ac on more than twice all summer.  I keep the door walls open during the cool evenings and night and close the doors in the morning.  With good insulation, the temps tend to be okay most of the day until sundown.  This is one of the coolest summers I can recall.


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## Htoo0 (Aug 9, 2009)

In OKC and 73-74 when it's warm or 74-75 when it's cold. (Air from a heat pump system really does feel cool in the winter. At least for us.) Also, the way our T-stat works with a three degree tolerance it hits 76-77 in the summer before kicking on while it drops to 71-72 in the winter. We run ceiling fans in warm weather as well. My work keeps the temps at about 75 but it feels cold in the winter.


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## urple2 (Aug 9, 2009)

Bear,DE. 72 when were home. 76 when were at work.


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## shagnut (Aug 9, 2009)

wINSTOn salem, nc. 72. I can't stand to be hot.  shaggy

:In winter keep it at 68 and people think it's too cold. Like I say, you can put on a sweater but I'll be cool.  shaggy


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## kapear (Aug 9, 2009)

*South of Denver*

We are 30 miles south of Denver. Other than one night when we had company, we haven't had the air on this summer. We open the windows and use 2 ceiling fans upstairs and one downstairs. It keeps the house comfortable. If we do turn the air on, I like it cool....74 or so.


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## RDB (Aug 9, 2009)

Yorktown, VA

77 overnight and follow the outside temp til around the 81 to 88 setting during the day.
We find an air conditioned 81 to 88 is pretty nice when its 95 to 99 outside.

We have more time to keep it in our comfort zone and not enough income to go extravigate.  When we don't feel just a tad warm, we up the setting so the a/c will stop for a while.

When we are away, it gets set to 88 just so the humidity is taken out while we are gone. Since 1 August the daytime temps reach 91 to 99. Overnight the A/C may shut off.


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## Jaybee (Aug 9, 2009)

Shaggy?  Good grief!  Some mornings the temp in our Curves is set at 68°, and I can hardly wait to finish exercising, and get outside where I can thaw out.  Jean





shagnut said:


> wINSTOn salem, nc. 72. I can't stand to be hot.  shaggy
> 
> :In winter keep it at 68 and people think it's too cold. Like I say, you can put on a sweater but I'll be cool.  shaggy


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## Gramma5 (Aug 9, 2009)

We live in MN in the summer and it has been quite cool this summer! We have had the HEAT on more than the A/C!  However, it seems summer has arrived now and it has been in the high 80's for a few days. We keep the A/C on 75 during the day and 73 at night. In Fl., where we live i the winter, we keep the A/C on the same numbers when it is needed.


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## MuranoJo (Aug 10, 2009)

OMG, we keep ours at about 70-72 here in Idaho, not that it is humid or horribly hot in comparison to other locations.  I work from home in an office with multiple computers and electronic equipment, and South-facing, so maybe that is part of the reason, but yes, our electric bills are high, so another reason to try it at a higher setting.


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## Passepartout (Aug 10, 2009)

Out here in the desert, we keep the house open until noonish, then close it up. The AC comes on at 75 about 4pm. By 9pm we can open the windows. Outside can hit high 90s but down in the 50s at night. Our electricity (mostly hydropower) is about 6.3 cents/kwh, but goes higher as you use more. Summer power bill is seldom $100, though with me home full time now it might surprise us and force me to re-educate myself..

Jim Ricks


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## Redrosesix (Aug 10, 2009)

We don't have AC except in the car, and don't need it except in the car.  Nova Scotia is almost an island and luckily the breeze comes in off the ocean at the hottest times of the day.


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## DeniseM (Aug 10, 2009)

Modesto, CA - almost the whole summer is over 90 and lots and lots of days over 100.  I think our high this summer has been 108.  We keep our thermostat at 78, and have ceiling fans in every room.  Many nights it cools off, and we can open the house up and turn off the AC.  Our saving grace is that it is very, very dry here so we don't have to deal with humidity. By dry, I mean it's absolutely rare to get rain in the summer.


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## Pat H (Aug 10, 2009)

Northeast PA, beginning of the Poconos. I don't have a/c. A few years ago my kids insisted on getting window ones for their bedrooms. I usually get a nice breeze in my room. I'm always cold. I'm sure living in SC will be very different for me although I'd rather open the windows than run the a/c even when it's very hot & humid.


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Aug 10, 2009)

Jaybee, just because we have it at 73 doesn't mean it runs that much. It's one that goes on and off and controls heat and cooling all the time. Our house is in direct sun all day with southern exposure, so it heats up a lot during the day in summer. Our previous house was sheltered in the pines, so it didn't get real hot. Here we first bought ceiling fans, then an attic fan, then finally the AC.
Liz


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## PigsDad (Aug 10, 2009)

North of Denver here.  Off during the daytime (no one in the house), 76 in the evenings, and 74 for sleeping.

Kurt


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## bogey21 (Aug 10, 2009)

Usually about 78 degrees.  But when it is really hot I set the thermost at 22 degrees lower than the temperature outside.  That means when it is 104 outside that I am at 82 inside.  I always keep a fan on in the room I am using.  

If I start feeling a little warm, I just go outside and sit on the porch in the direct sunlight with a cold beer for about 5 minutes.  When I come back in the house it feels like I am walking into a meat cooler.

You would be amazed the impact this has on my electic bill

George


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## shagnut (Aug 10, 2009)

Jean, I have tried the 78 degree thing and I am too hot!! My electric bill sounds like it would be atrosious (sp) but it has never been over $100. Since I had the house remodeled my bill last month was $79!!  It has saved me almost $30 per month on my bill and I am home most of the time.  The heat is around 95 degrees now so I expect it to be higher next month but not by must.  

Since my house is an A Frame and I sleep upstairs I even turn on a fan at night to keep me cool.  

Glad you are going to Curves!! I want to be just like you when I grow up!! 

Hugs, Shaggy


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## dwsupt (Aug 10, 2009)

*Central ILL*

85 during the day when we are gone and down to 72 at 4 pm (Programmablethermostat). Once house is cool we set back up to 76 at 6 pm until bed time and then back to 85 at night. House is super insulated and holds coll well. Seldom reach 85 for a/c to run.
:whoopie:


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## kelela92 (Aug 10, 2009)

Live in SoCal, a few miles from the beach, so it's cool year round. 

Having said that, our condo retains heat, and 90% of the windows face west (so we get the setting sun beating on the windows). 

AND I love my dogs too much. 

Therefore.......76 during the day (for the dogs). around 4ish, it kicks down to 74 and basically runs all night till about midnight (to cool down the 3rd floor bedrooms). 

Without the a/c, the house has gotten well into the mid-80's on a day, that is 76 outside. Go figure. Thank gawd for those level pays. Cuz our bill is going to be through the roof this month.


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## KarenLK (Aug 10, 2009)

Buffalo, New York area. I keep it at 73 during the summer months.


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## Ironwood (Aug 10, 2009)

Central Ontario about an hour north of Toronto.  It's been a rather rainy summer up here...threatening again this aft.   Set my programable thermostat to 73-76F for AC depending on time of day, primarily to get the humidity out.  Run fan all night, otherwise windows open.


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## Carol C (Aug 10, 2009)

Jaybee said:


> We live in So. CA, inland, and generally keep the temp set at 82/83.



Good for you!   I'm shocked to see so many posting they keep AC well under 80 degrees F...some even maintaining 72-73 consistently. No wonder the planet is in peril...so few Americans really care to conserve.

"Hotlanta" is where I live, and I keep AC at 82-83. We use ceiling fans & counter-top fans for zone "cooling", which amounts to blowing air around and about; but it does indeed help us stay comfortable during our hot humid summers.


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## Cotswolder (Aug 10, 2009)

Here in the Uk we don't have A/C.

If temps ever reach 80 we open the window wide, The cooler it gets the more the window gets closed.
If there is snow outside than we shut up tight :rofl:


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## BSQ (Aug 10, 2009)

Another Southern Californian that doesn't have AC.  I live on the beach in a protected harbor ... there's usually a nice breeze blowing.


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## luvsvacation22 (Aug 10, 2009)

DeniseM said:


> Modesto, CA - almost the whole summer is over 90 and lots and lots of days over 100.  I think our high this summer has been 108.  We keep our thermostat at 78, and have ceiling fans in every room.  Many nights it cools off, and we can open the house up and turn off the AC.  Our saving grace is that it is very, very dry here so we don't have to deal with humidity. By dry, I mean it's absolutely rare to get rain in the summer.



We live 15-20 minutes from Modesto and use our ceiling fans all the time too. Thank goodness we were on vacation in the mountains when we reached the 108 temps in the valley. 

During the summer, we keep our A/C at 70-72 during day and night. I do not like heat! Needless to say our PG&E is quite high.


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## Debbyd57 (Aug 10, 2009)

Wow!  You all are impressive.  I keep mine at 72 degrees!  DD and DH used to try turning it up :annoyed:  but I always started sweating and turned it down.
We live in Hattiesburg, MS, where I go from ac house to ac car to ac house.


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## JEFF H (Aug 10, 2009)

Tucson,AZ we keep it at 80 in the summer and have ceiling Fans in all rooms.
With the low humidity 80 is perfect for me. The wife can get chilly at times with the ceiling Fan going.


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## pittle (Aug 10, 2009)

We live in the Phoenix area and it was really hot last month - over 110 more days than not.  Our house has a zoned system with 2 compressors -the larger A/C unit is set at 77 all summer.  During the day, the smaller unit is set for 77 also, but drops to 73 for the 2 bedrooms on the master bedroom side of the house about 9 PM. We also turn the fan on in our bedroom.  

In the winter, we set both zones for 65 day & night.  The heater seldom comes on and I love sleeping in a cold room at night.


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## Beverley (Aug 10, 2009)

We live in Connecticut and do not have AC.  It is comfortable 10 months out of the year and we tough it out for July and August .... but of course we are on HHI for the month of August  .  In HHI at the timeshares we keep the AC at 78.  Right now we are at Sanibel Island and have the air at 77/78.


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## joycapecod (Aug 10, 2009)

I live on Cape Cod and usually it isn't too hot other than July and August; what we have is humidity. Today is was 85 with humidity about the same. I set the a/c on 72 when I'm home and 75/76 when not. With the heavy humidity even the ocean breeze feels wet.

Joy


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## pedro47 (Aug 10, 2009)

Tidewater VA. a cool 78 degrees.


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## barndweller (Aug 10, 2009)

We live in the Sierra mountains of Ca. about 150 miles due east of San Francisco. We don't have A/C. When it gets hot we turn on our ceiling fans and open all the windows. In the winter, when it gets down to 20°F, we put another quilt on the bed or head for Arizona.


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## urple2 (Aug 10, 2009)

Carol C said:


> Good for you!   I'm shocked to see so many posting they keep AC well under 80 degrees F...some even maintaining 72-73 consistently. No wonder the planet is in peril...so few Americans really care to conserve.
> 
> "Hotlanta" is where I live, and I keep AC at 82-83. We use ceiling fans & counter-top fans for zone "cooling", which amounts to blowing air around and about; but it does indeed help us stay comfortable during our hot humid summers.



I'll try to make up for it in the winter months...


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## mterra (Aug 10, 2009)

Normally, here in Alaska air conditioning is not needed.  This summer it would have been nice on a couple occasions.  Mainly at night, to sleep.  This is my 6th summer up here and it has never been this warm--upper 70's/low 80's.:whoopie: 
Mary


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## bogey21 (Aug 11, 2009)

Carol C said:


> Good for you!   I'm shocked to see so many posting they keep AC well under 80 degrees F...some even maintaining 72-73 consistently. No wonder the planet is in peril...so few Americans really care to conserve.



To each his own.  I'm an 80+ guy but it is because of $$$, not the planet

George


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## mo1950 (Aug 11, 2009)

Live in southern Oklahoma.  We keep the air on 72 during the day, and 69 at night.

We have decided to gradually raise the thermostat, so this should be interesting.


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## EZ-ED (Aug 11, 2009)

Boise Idaho, ac set at 70 all the time although last Friday (the 7th) the high for the day was 59 so we turned the heat on. Back to the mid 90's today.


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 11, 2009)

Carol C said:


> Good for you!   I'm shocked to see so many posting they keep AC well under 80 degrees F...some even maintaining 72-73 consistently. No wonder the planet is in peril...so few Americans really care to conserve.
> 
> "Hotlanta" is where I live, and I keep AC at 82-83. We use ceiling fans & counter-top fans for zone "cooling", which amounts to blowing air around and about; but it does indeed help us stay comfortable during our hot humid summers.



Carol, I think I can explain why some people use more AC than others.  For us, we are very comfortable sleeping at 60 degrees at night in the winter.  Our thermostat during the day is about 66 degrees, with our gas fireplace thermostat a little higher at 68 degrees, when we watch television at night.  We live in a cool climate, so when it's summer for the 3 months of the year, we feel hot unless our AC is at 74 degrees.  And because our mornings are cool, and I believe it was about 59 degrees this morning, we leave our whole house fan on and windows open until it warms up, which is usually around 11:00 a.m.  Then we close down the house, and the AC usually doesn't run until around 3:00.  Then we open the windows again at about 7:00, if it's cool enough outside, and we allow that air to come in again for the night.  

We believe in keeping our heat down during the winter to save energy.  I am appalled at those who keep their heat on 78 degrees during the winter, because they like to be warm.  These people are used to being warm and keep their winter thermostats the same as their AC.  I have no idea how people can even afford to pay the gas prices at 78 degrees.  In summer, our electric and gas bills are a total of about $100.  In winter, that more than doubles because of the heat, and we have low bills compared to others.


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## riverdees05 (Aug 11, 2009)

We live about 35 miles south of Nashville and keep our A/C on the main floor around 72 +/- and the other levels around 75 +/-.

We use ceiling fans except in the master bedroom at night when I am sleeping - don't like it blowing on me.


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## CMF (Aug 11, 2009)

GadgetRick said:


> Yikes! 78...80...82!!?? I'd be melting!
> 
> Live in Northern NJ and have it at 72 during the day and 69 at night and I'm still a little warm...



Thank you.  I thought I was going out of my mind.

We keep it at 72 as well here in Germantown, MD.

Charles


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## donnaval (Aug 11, 2009)

We live near Pittsburgh.  We have an old farmhouse that we remodeled and insulated.  We never got around to installing central air but we have several room ACs that we turn on and off as needed.  Yesterday was the first time this year I had to use the one that cools the kitchen/dining/living room areas, and we just had it on for a couple of hours while I was doing a massive cooking project.  We have one in our family room for when we watch TV--haven't used it this year.  Our bedroom unit goes on anytime the outside night temperature is 60 or warmer.  We love it cool in the bedroom!  We keep our furnace at 64 in the winter during the day, 58 at night, and I wear jeans and a sweatshirt all day.  We have a down comforter for winter nights.  

(Our tenants love to keep their temperature in the upper 70s so they can wear tank tops and shorts all winter and complain about their high heat bills...I don't get it. Put on some pants and a sweater!!!!!) 

We also have an attic vent fan that kicks on to pull out heat on hot days, and this really helps to keep the upstairs and downstairs temps sort of equal.  We also have a whole-house fan that does a superb job of sucking out hot air when the nights cool off.

We heat with oil and go through 500 to 600 gallons a year.  Our electric bill averages about $65 a month.

Edited to add:  We have ceiling fans in every room, and use them all the time during the summer, not so much during the winter.


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## wegottago (Aug 11, 2009)

77/78 during the day and about 74/75 at night with ceiling fans on.


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## laurac260 (Aug 11, 2009)

*$100 electric bills???*

I couldn't be more jealous! I just checked,our cheapest bill in the past 12 months has been $233.  Our most expensive bill has been $633!

That is the downside to the midwest I suppose, you need AC in the summer because it is so hot and humid (unlike many places that have been mentioned on this thread), and we need heat in winter because the temp runs from 40 degrees (warm) to below zero at times.   In Tampa we barely had an electric bill in winter!


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## Chrisky (Aug 12, 2009)

I live in South Central Ontario, not far from Toronto.  Our summers starting the end of May until Sept. are usually very hot and humid.  The operative word this year being 'usually'.   We have a programmable thermostat, so during the day AC set beginning at 6am to 77 and at 11pm drops down to 74. Our house is well insulated, ceiling fans in great room and bedrooms, which helps to bring up the cool air and in the winter force the warm air down.  Even on our hottest days, our AC doesn't start to come on until well past 2pm.  During the winter months we keep the heat at 69 and drop it down to 64 overnight.  If we feel cool watching TV then we turn on our gas firplace for a while and with the ceiling fan, makes it cozy.


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## Judy (Aug 12, 2009)

We live in Florida and spend enough time outside that we're used to the heat.  We keep the windows open during the day unless the house temperature gets above 90 degrees F.  At night we have to close up because of no-see-ums and the possibility of rain.  Then we turn the AC on and set the thermostat to 83. We run our ceiling fans all the time. Perfectly comfortable for us. The key to keeping cool is moving air.


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## vacationhopeful (Aug 12, 2009)

Okay, summer 63 is where the A/C is set- morning, noon, and night.

Winter, when I am home - 80.  Not home, am traveling - 63.

Electric bill each month $0.  They (the electric company) sent me a check last month for $295.

And I am GREEN and sell carbon credits on the commodity markets!


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## PigsDad (Aug 12, 2009)

Judy said:


> Then we turn the AC on and set the thermostat to *83*. We run our ceiling fans all the time. Perfectly comfortable for us. The key to keeping cool is moving air.


Ok, I just have to ask because I would simply melt at 83 all the time -- let alone never being able to get to sleep!  Since you spend winters in Steamboat, what what do you set your heat at there?  I'm just wondering if those that can stand the extreme warm house in the summer (more power to you!  ) also have it warm in the winter.

As for me, I set our themostat at 69 for heating, but that is mostly because of my wife.  I would be perfectly comfortable at 65 during the day, and 58 at night.  But the warmest I can have it in the summer is about 76 if I want any chance of getting a good night's sleep.

Kurt


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## ScoopKona (Aug 12, 2009)

Las Vegas


Wake-up to 9 a.m. -- not on, windows open and fans on

9:01 to 12:59 p.m. -- 85f

1 p.m. to 7 p.m. -- not on (time of use power plan)

7:01 p.m. to 10 p.m. - 85f

10:01 to wake-up -- not on


My neighbors have theirs set for 78f -- they pay $300-500 per month in the summer. We pay $150.


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## bogey21 (Aug 12, 2009)

A man after my own heart. I love it!

George


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## dioxide45 (Aug 12, 2009)

CMF said:


> Thank you.  I thought I was going out of my mind.
> 
> We keep it at 72 as well here in Germantown, MD.
> 
> Charles



I was worried too. We keep ours at 71 during the day when at work and kick it down to 70 at night. We have a pedestal fan in the BR to move the air around also. I even still end up kicking off most of the covers in the night and rarely start out even sleeping under them. We are in SW Ohio.


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## taffy19 (Aug 13, 2009)

We are so lucky to live in southern California and close to the beach so it is seldom too warm or too cold but we have more humidity lately than usual and that makes us turn on the A/C manually just to get rid of this humidity but then it gets too cold in the house so we open up the windows again as soon as the wind comes up which we get most every day. If it is not humid, our A/C turns on automatically at 78 and we are comfortable with that.

In the winter, our heater comes on at 7 AM automatically and turns off at 72, I believe. We feel the cold much more than the heat since we are Sr. Citizens. 

Our electricity bill used to be much higher than our our neihbors in the street because we had a koi pond filter running 24 hours per day but we no longer have that now after 30 years so our bill is lower now.

We investigated solar panels but it doesn't make sense for us with what we pay in electricity now. I couldn't believe how expensive solar panels are even with the rebates.  I would love to have it but not at that expense.


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## Judy (Aug 13, 2009)

PigsDad said:


> Ok, I just have to ask because I would simply melt at 83 all the time -- let alone never being able to get to sleep!


 I would melt at 83 also, if it weren't for the breeze from the ceiling fans or the open windows. Circulating air makes all the difference in the world. 





> Since you spend winters in Steamboat, what what do you set your heat at there?  I'm just wondering if those that can stand the extreme warm house in the summer (more power to you!  ) also have it warm in the winter.


 78 F in winter in Steamboat.  We don't have A/C in Steamboat and don't need it when we're here in summer.


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 13, 2009)

78 degrees would be too hot in the winter for us, and we live in Denver.  The warmest I can stand is 72 degrees in the winter, while sitting down in the family room.  If I am up vacuuming and mopping floors at home, I wouldn't be comfortable at 72 degrees in the winter.  I would be sweating!  

The temperatures we are accustomed to at various climates are very different.  Right now, it's warming up in our house, and I am going to close the windows and let the AC take over for the whole house fan.  It's now 76 degrees outside.


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## Texasbelle (Aug 13, 2009)

Houston, Texas where we have summer May-October.  Humidity usually equals the temperature.  AC set at 77 and it is running now, 2:30 in the afternoon.  During our brief winter, we try to keep the heat set below 70.  Now my question is, when did people start changing the season indoors?  Shouldn't we expect to be a little warm in the summer and a little cool in the winter and dress accordingly???  We sleep under a sheet only and our family lowers the AC and sleeps under a comforter in the summer.  We had radiant barrier and the energy efficient windows installed and the AC runs less, but we will never recover the cost.


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## mbeach89 (Aug 13, 2009)

Ohio here:     85 during the day....sometimes just turn the darn thing off since the kids won't keep the doors closed!    

74-76 at night.


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## TUGBrian (Aug 13, 2009)

ne fl - 79


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## TSchmidt (Aug 13, 2009)

78 during the day.   Turned off at night and windows open.


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## Htoo0 (Aug 13, 2009)

Texasbelle said:


> Houston, Texas where we have summer May-October.  Humidity usually equals the temperature.  AC set at 77 and it is running now, 2:30 in the afternoon.  During our brief winter, we try to keep the heat set below 70.  Now my question is, when did people start changing the season indoors?  Shouldn't we expect to be a little warm in the summer and a little cool in the winter and dress accordingly???  We sleep under a sheet only and our family lowers the AC and sleeps under a comforter in the summer.  We had radiant barrier and the energy efficient windows installed and the AC runs less, but we will never recover the cost.



My only answer to your question is how the thermostats I'm familiar with work. If I set it to 73 in the summer then it cools until it reaches 73 when it turns off. It doesn't turn back on until the temperature reaches 76 when it runs until being it back down to 73. During the winter with it set to 75 it heats the home until it reaches 75. It is then off until the temp drops to 72. When it reaches 75 it again turns off. So you might say the the average summer temp would be 74.5 while the winter temp would be 73.5. So even though I set the temp to 73 in the summer and 75 in the winter, it's not really reversing the seasons. I don't know if such a thing is exactly what you're referring to, I merely offer it as one explanation. BTW, DW sleeps under a sheet during the summer while I sometimes need a light comforter over my lower half. Winter I'm under a heavy comforter while she usually still sleeps under a sheet only. She works during the day while I'm usually working 4pm-midnight or midnight-8AM so programmable t-stats don't really work for us. Average electric bill in our all electric home (including well water) is about $100-120. Low end so far this year due to rains and cooler July/August temps we're experiencing.  Spending more mowing the lawn however.


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## Texasbelle (Aug 14, 2009)

HtooO, We have a programable thermostat too.  However, we keep it on "hold" and do not use that feature.  Our heat/AC is supposed to have a 2 degree range, that is, set on 70 in the winter it heats to 71 then goes off until it is 69 when it heats again.  Even that slight range seems too hot and then too cool.  The AC is similar, but seems more even.  The inside "season" I refer to is this--we expect to have the perfect temperature at all times.  Shouldn't we expect to dress for the season outside when we are inside?  Not parkas or bikinis, but common sense clothing?  I am surprised to see that so many tuggers keep the AC at 77, we thought we were on the high side at 77.


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## SpikeMauler (Aug 14, 2009)

N.Y. South Shore of Long Island  72 degrees


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## kapear (Aug 14, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> 78 degrees would be too hot in the winter for us, and we live in Denver.  The warmest I can stand is 72 degrees in the winter, while sitting down in the family room.  If I am up vacuuming and mopping floors at home, I wouldn't be comfortable at 72 degrees in the winter.  I would be sweating!
> 
> I'm with you. We're on the south side of Denver. Our heat doesn't come on in the winter unless it dips below 66 or so in the house. The kids have learned to put socks and a sweatshirt on. I prefer it to be on the cool side. Much better for sleeping..


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## NWL (Aug 14, 2009)

Northwest Montana, no air conditioning.  Not that there are no days in the summer that we would like AC, but, for the most part, we open the windows after the sun goes down, put a window fan in, then close the windows before 10am, and lower the shades and insulated curtains on the sunny sides.  We keep a box fan running at floor level during the day to keep the air moving.  People walk in and say "oh, you have AC".  You should see their reaction when we tell them we do not have AC!

Cheers!


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## summervaca (Aug 14, 2009)

In Minnesota, I keep the heat way too high in the winter at 72 degrees.  In the summer, I don't care how hot and humid it is, I prefer no AC.  Every so often, my family coerces me into AC, but I genuinely do not like it.  I hate being cold...


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## Htoo0 (Aug 15, 2009)

summervaca said:


> In Minnesota, I keep the heat way too high in the winter at 72 degrees.  In the summer, I don't care how hot and humid it is, I prefer no AC.  Every so often, my family coerces me into AC, but I genuinely do not like it.  I hate being cold...



WOW! Are you in the wrong place!!!


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## Twinkstarr (Aug 15, 2009)

laurac260 said:


> I couldn't be more jealous! I just checked,our cheapest bill in the past 12 months has been $233.  Our most expensive bill has been $633!
> 
> That is the downside to the midwest I suppose, you need AC in the summer because it is so hot and humid (unlike many places that have been mentioned on this thread), and we need heat in winter because the temp runs from 40 degrees (warm) to below zero at times.   In Tampa we barely had an electric bill in winter!



Geez where do you live in OH. I'm in the Toledo area and I thought we had high utility bills here. I  keep our house set at 73 during the day and 68 at night all year round. My AC doesn't usually come on until afternoon. 

I use the Columbia Gas budget plan, so it spreads your natural gas costs over the year(don't get those  bills in Jan or Feb). 

I think in a really hot summer my electric bill is perhaps $250 ish(have to dig back in the archives).

What gets us is the water bills, Toledo charges out the wazoo for the suburbs then I get a 2nd hit because I live in the township(Perrysburg City oinks us because we refuse to be annexed). DH has been watering plants grass, so the quarterly water bill will be high. Usuallly $230/qtr, but he can get it up to $400 ish by watering the grass. :annoyed:


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## PigsDad (Aug 15, 2009)

Twinkstarr said:


> What gets us is the water bills...



Come out west, then let's talk water bills.  But our electric rates aren't as bad, so it evens out.

Kurt


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## John Cummings (Aug 15, 2009)

We live in an inland valley in Southern California. The normal temps in July and August are 98 high and 60 low with low humidity. We do get a few days of 100+. Right now the high temps are 88-92. We have a programmable thermostat but keep the temperature at a constant 76 for the A/C and 72 for heat. We are home all the time unless we are on a vacation then we turn the system off. We do have ceiling fans in all the rooms and our house is very well insulated including all the interior walls. Our A/C is electric and our heat is natural gas. Our highest electric bill is $300 of which $80 is for the pool pumps. Our gas bill is running about $15.00 /mo right now as our stove, oven, outdoor BBQ, hot water is natural gas. We have solar heat for our pool and spa.


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 15, 2009)

PigsDad said:


> Come out west, then let's talk water bills.  But our electric rates aren't as bad, so it evens out.
> 
> Kurt



Really, Kurt?  In Thornton, our water bills are rarely over $90 per month and include sewer and trash pick-up.  In the winter, we pay about $48 per month.  I know someone in Westminster who pays 3x what we pay all year round, and her yard is little.  She lives at 109th and Irving.  Maybe she is in your water district?


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## Pat H (Aug 15, 2009)

My electric bill averages $150/mo and I have no sewer or water bills. Trash pickup is $78/qtr. That's it.


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## John Cummings (Aug 15, 2009)

My water bill runs about $80 /month in the summer and $45 in the winter. Our sprinklers run 5 days a week in the summer. In the winter, they run as needed. We also have a large pool and spa that takes water due to evaporation. Our garbage bill is $51 per quarter. They have stage 2 mandatory water conservation right now which is not really a big deal. If you have excessive runoff, they can fine you after a warning.


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## PigsDad (Aug 16, 2009)

rickandcindy23 said:


> Really, Kurt?  In Thornton, our water bills are rarely over $90 per month and include sewer and trash pick-up.  In the winter, we pay about $48 per month.  I know someone in Westminster who pays 3x what we pay all year round, and her yard is little.  She lives at 109th and Irving.  Maybe she is in your water district?


When we lived in the county w/ a rural water district, our _quarterly _water bill would spike to the $500-600 range in the summer.  Now that we are in a city, our yard is 1/3 the size, and the highest _monthly _bill has been in the range of $180 (but that also includes a small amount for sewer).

Of course this summer has been different -- I have only had to run the sprinkler system maybe 2-3 weeks all summer, due to the very unusual amount of rain we have been receiving!

Kurt


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## sfwilshire (Aug 16, 2009)

People actually set their AC and leave it? We keep ours turned off until we get too hot, then we set it on about 74. It runs for a while and somebody gets cold and turns it off. The cycle repeats.

At night, the unit in the part of the house that has no bedrooms gets turned off. The one where the kids' bedrooms are gets run for a while before they go to bed, then usually turned off. We only have a window unit in our bedroom (original log cabin part that currently has no central system and needs new insulation in the attic). We set it somewhere between 70 and 72 because we leave our bedroom door open for safety (got to hear that smoke detector in the kids' part of the house if it ever goes off) and the rest of the log cabin has no AC.

Sheila


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## laurac260 (Aug 23, 2009)

Twinkstarr said:


> Geez where do you live in OH. I'm in the Toledo area and I thought we had high utility bills here. I  keep our house set at 73 during the day and 68 at night all year round. My AC doesn't usually come on until afternoon.
> 
> I use the Columbia Gas budget plan, so it spreads your natural gas costs over the year(don't get those  bills in Jan or Feb).
> 
> ...




We are in cincinnati.  If I had to guess what makes our elect bill so high:  We have about 5500-6000 sq ft, 3 floors, one ac unit, hot tub, I am a stay at home mom so the house is in use 24/7, I cook most meals so oven/dishwasher, two kids so lots of laundry, and we keep our ac blower running 24/7 because of the air filtration system due to daughter with asthma.  I guess we ain't none too green!  Atleast we drive a hybrid

you may be surprised to hear this, but cinci gets quite a bit hotter in summer than toledo/cleveland does.


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## Twinkstarr (Aug 24, 2009)

laurac260 said:


> We are in cincinnati.  If I had to guess what makes our elect bill so high:  We have about 5500-6000 sq ft, 3 floors, one ac unit, hot tub, I am a stay at home mom so the house is in use 24/7, I cook most meals so oven/dishwasher, two kids so lots of laundry, and we keep our ac blower running 24/7 because of the air filtration system due to daughter with asthma.  I guess we ain't none too green!  Atleast we drive a hybrid
> 
> you may be surprised to hear this, but cinci gets quite a bit hotter in summer than toledo/cleveland does.



Actually Toledo Edison has the highest rates in the state for some bizarro reason. 

We only have a 3000 sqft house, I run the AC all the time(allergies), cook 99% of meals. I do have a fairly effeciant dishwasher (Fisher-Paykel dish drawers that I love) a HE washer and a newish AC/heating unit. Though the huge Sub-Zero unit might eat up those saving. DH did put in the compact flor. bulbs. He's been analyzing our electric bills and we've cut our consumption about 12% this last year. Here are some of the things we've done:

Depending on the season, we open/close drapes on the sunny side of the house to get passive heating/cooling. We've added weatherstipping to the exterior doors and more insulation in the attic. 

I only run full loads in my dishwasher/clothes washer. And I try not to run them in the middle of the day(higher electric rates). I have 2 active boys(13/8) who generate a ton of dirty clothes. 

 Both DH and I work out of our house, so we have at least 2 computers going at all times


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## BWV Dreamin (Aug 24, 2009)

You do not even want to know what we who live in Maryland pay for electric and gas!!!!!! I keep my a/c on at 77 degrees (both day and night!). In the winter, 67 degrees. We keep fans and blankets on depending on the time of year!! Our state is looking for outside partnership....how about Ohio!!


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## Twinkstarr (Aug 24, 2009)

BWV Dreamin said:


> You do not even want to know what we who live in Maryland pay for electric and gas!!!!!! I keep my a/c on at 77 degrees (both day and night!). In the winter, 67 degrees. We keep fans and blankets on depending on the time of year!! Our state is looking for outside partnership....how about Ohio!!



Partnership for what? I don't like the sound of it.


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## Fletcher921 (Aug 24, 2009)

*San Diego*

We live in San Diego and am scared to even turn on our air conditioning at all anymore!  WE used it VERY sparingly a few days last billing cylcle and our gas and electric bill was $808. BLAGHH!


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## bhrungo (Aug 24, 2009)

Las Vegas area here...
I like 76-77 during the day..and 75 at night.


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## John Cummings (Aug 25, 2009)

Fletcher921 said:


> We live in San Diego and am scared to even turn on our air conditioning at all anymore!  WE used it VERY sparingly a few days last billing cylcle and our gas and electric bill was $808. BLAGHH!



Wow, that is outrageous. We live just 60 miles north and it is hotter where we live. We run our A/C 24/7 and keep our temperature at 76. Our last cycling bill was $300 for electricity with $80 of that to run our pool pump everyday. Our gas bill was $12 /mo and is billed separately. We aren't on any plan so we pay for whatever we use each month for both electricity and gas. I assume that you must have SDGE. We have Southern California Edison for electricity and Sempra for gas.


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## SDKath (Aug 26, 2009)

GadgetRick said:


> Yikes! 78...80...82!!?? I'd be melting!
> 
> Live in Northern NJ and have it at 72 during the day and 69 at night and I'm still a little warm...



Same here!  We live in San Diego so usually have the AC and Heater off for about 9 months.  Then 2 summer months we set it to 73ish during the day and 70 at night.  Winter we MAY have the heater on for 1 month around 69.

My house is a comfy 74 right now with the windows open...  80 and I would be in the shower with the cold water on.   

Katherine


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## trishpmc (Aug 26, 2009)

We live in eastern PA. Our A/C is set to 73 during the day and 71 at night during the summer.  During the cold months, our heat is set to 68 during the day and 66 at night.  Our house is all electric, and we have a monthly budget plan bill of $215.  When our relatives from FL and CA visit, they are cold both in the summer and in the winter.


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## boyblue (Aug 27, 2009)

We have two zones, there's the common area and then there's the Bedrooms.  Both are set to 80° during the day when we are gone.

The common area goes down to 77° an hour before we get home (Programmable thermostat) and the bedrooms go down to 74° at 9pm.

The common area goes back up to 80° at 12am.  The bedrooms go up to 78° at 6am the following morning and then to 80° at 9am.

In the Bahamas folks like to take advantage of the trade winds & sunlight so they use lots of windows, I went in the opposite direction when I designed our home.  I knew I wanted the air condition to stay on auto and adjust the temp as necessary so I used ¼ of the windows that would normally be used and insulated properly. Therefore we’re using 5 ton of a/c where 9 tons are normally used.


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