Power Bill questions

Talking about "heat of summer" 90 plus days etc .

Suppose you have a church or a business that you only need it to be cool for a smaller window of time than the home owner. Say you want it to be 75 for 5 hrs on a given day, and maybe again tomorrow but not the other 5 days. Do you leave it on for tomorrow or cut it off then back on at a later time???

Do you switch the AC on the night before and let it do it's work when it's coolest in a 24 hr period? Do you cut it on with thermostat at say 80 then drop it to 75 an hr before it's needed.??

Have there been any studies or anyone KNOW what saves on the bill??? Thanks

Having adequate insulation plays a big part. Having an efficient HVAC system is the other part. If you have really good insulation, I'd say leave it on about 77 any time nobody is there would be better than leaving it off. If the insulation is so-so, then leaving it on would be a waste.

Hvac

Flash said:

Talking about "heat of summer" 90 plus days etc .

Suppose you have a church or a business that you only need it to be cool for a smaller window of time than the home owner. Say you want it to be 75 for 5 hrs on a given day, and maybe again tomorrow but not the other 5 days. Do you leave it on for tomorrow or cut it off then back on at a later time???

Do you switch the AC on the night before and let it do it's work when it's coolest in a 24 hr period? Do you cut it on with thermostat at say 80 then drop it to 75 an hr before it's needed.??

Have there been any studies or anyone KNOW what saves on the bill??? Thanks

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If GP is your power provider look into smart usage program. Its a no brainer if your life situation will allow it and it absolutely will save you money. Shifts your primary usage to off peak times - ie: dry clothes and wash dishes after 7pm or before 2pm etc ... The second scenario you listed is the most efficient - Use a Nest thermostat to control it from your cell phone or computer. The cheapest place to buy them for GP customers is georgiapowermarketplace.com way cheaper than anywhere else I could find.

Also you mentioned church- I have seen the water heater settings way high at churches which is essentially paying to heat that water all week only to use a few hours on Sunday and Wednesday. Turning them down to 100 or less is a good idea IMO. You can get timers for them as well. Water heaters are energy eaters more so than you would think especially dual element heaters with one bad element causing the other to heat all the time.

If you have can lights with incandescent bulbs they are basically heating elements - its worth it to buy the LED's. They sell them on the same website or amazon has good prices.

You should not cut it totally off. You need it to run some to avoid moisture problems in the building. It is important to have air cycling through the building.

It takes less energy to maintain temperature than to lower it. Set the thermostat a few degrees above comfortable, and be sure to leave vents uncovered and doors open for even air circulation.

Thanks for all the replies so far

ryanh487 said:

It takes less energy to maintain temperature than to lower it.

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I understand that part but at some point it has to cost more to maintain than to lower it again next week doesn't it??? Esp when the insulation is not the best

Also

The power companies have different rates for businesses that favor off peak usage and times. Ask your provider for information.

Low temp setting when approaching or during occupancy. 78-80 at other times. Keep that humidity under control.
Be absolutely certain that the indoor and outdoor coils are clean.

A white reflective roof coating will help with heat as well as prevent rust and future leaks.

All power companies have energy efficiency experts that are usually free to a customer

Rebel 3 said:

You should not cut it totally off. You need it to run some to avoid moisture problems in the building. It is important to have air cycling through the building.

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We use a programmable thermostat to vary our house temp as we want it...Our house is very well insulated and a fairly new and efficient HVAC system....
After we installed the programmable thermostat we realized a 20.00-30.00 decrease in our power bill...We also have the same type thermostat on our pool...

Dont change your house temp by more than 5-6 degrees because it requires more energy to bring temp back to the desired level than to maintain a constant temp all the time them adjust the comfort level during the desired times..