During the dog days of 
summer months the family dynamic gets complicated. The kids are out of school for summer break and home playing in the yard and getting wet in the pool or hose. Mom and Dad are taking vacation from work and doing projects around the house. And, the weekends are filled with various outings, road trips, and getaways. This is the time of year when everyone has to agree about one thing – the best temperature for the air conditioner to be set to. This takes two things into consideration – being comfortable and not going broke because of the power bill. Here are some things to think about when deciding on what temperature to set the thermostat to:
Humidity. When there is an increased level of humidity in the air – either indoor or outdoor – this will give you the illusion of being hot. In fact, you are just feeling the stuffiness of the thick air and not an elevation in the actual temperature. If it is a particularly humid day, you can add a dehumidifier to your home to combat the extra moisture. Also, you can use the humidity in your favor and run ceiling or floor fans. This causes air to blow across your body, and if your body is damp because of the humidity you will immediately be cooled off – without having to turn on the air conditioner.
Temperature. In the summer time there is a trial and error period as the weather starts to heat up where you test how hot the house can get before you start to become uncomfortable. With all of the family at home, their comfort comes into play also. For instance, if you don’t start feeling too hot until the temperature inside is 73 degrees but, your seven year old starts to get cranky at 71 degrees … you might relent and set the thermostat for 71 to keep everyone comfortable – and calm. But, to save yourself some money, make sure to really test how the moods start to change depending on the various temperatures before you decide on the sweet spot.
While you are out. If you and the family are going to be away from the house for the day or for several days. It doesn’t hurt anything to set the thermostat to a much higher temperature and allow the house to heat up a bit. It might take a minute to get the house cooled down once you get home but, it might be a little bit before the temperature gets cool again once you are home but, the savings will be worth it.
