What do you set your thermostat at?

I was going over the household budget trying to trim off the fat and decided to turn the airconditioner thermostat up. 2 degree’s seemed to make a huge difference in the house. Using an actual thermometer I find it uncomfortable above 82 degrees. A/C is one of the few luxuries that I really enjoy and I need to keep my budget on track this summer.

We move ours between 77 and 80, depending on how much moving around/cooking/whatever we’re doing.

Growing up my parents were VERY strict about never turning the thermostat below 80 and my grandmother wouldn’t turn her swamp cooler on until her apartment was practically broiling.

I would personally rather live on ramen noodles and shower in cold water for lack of paying the gas bill than to spend 5 minutes in a home that’s too effing hot.

I have, in fact, lived on ramen noodles and left the gas off for 6+ months to make a $250+ electric bill shortly after I first moved out of my parents house. Man, that old A/C sucked.

I keep mine set at 76, which means it’s actually a couple degrees warmer in all the parts of the houses I use–my thermostat sits in the center of the house, the coolest place.

Mine is set to 76: because of the layout of the house, which parts get more sunlight, etc., that seems to work the best. Higher than that, and it can get a bit too warm when the temps are pushing 100 F. Slightly lower than that doesn’t noticeably cool down the house (but does raise the utility bill), and significantly lower (70 or 68) makes it too cold in my room. The vent in my room is a straight shot from the AC/heating unit, and has maybe one branch (at most two) off of it, so most of the output gets funneled into my room.

Other houses I’ve been in the ‘ideal’ temp was different: some we could keep set near 80, others had to be down closer to 70. All depended on how everything was set up and which rooms got the coldest versus which rooms we spent the most time in.


<< Never let any mechanical device know you’re in a hurry. >>

That’s exactly how I feel. I use to get migraines as a kid and vividly remember melting into my bed with a bucket at the ready in 95 degree heat. I was awarded the “family fan” during these episodes which was a 1940 antique that generated more heat than a toaster. It was only about a 9" fan but the electric motor made it look like a trolling motor for a boat. And you had to keep oiling it so there was the added benefit of smelling hot oil.

I thought I’d died and gone to heaven when my parents got Central Air. I actually had one of those Gone With the Wind moments when I said “as God is my witness I will never go without air conditioning again”.

Ours is set to 76, but because the thermostat is downstairs, that means that most of the upstairs (i.e., where our bedrooms are located) is considerably warmer. We have a fan going in our bedroom to help circulate the cool air, which really helps. Because I’m not turning the thermostat lower than 76.

60, my husbnd walks by and moves it to 80, I slide it back to 60.

One day it is going to explode, and yes my energy bill is high

We set ours around 72 when we get home. When the house is cooled down, I’ll turn it up to 75. But during the day, before I go to work. I turn it up to 80 or so, because there’s nobody home but the cats. We are in Florida, and it’s been 96 degrees for the last week. We don’t care what it costs, we would like to be cool in our house. It’s not that expensive, really, but I guess it’s where your priorities are. We got a new heat pump last year, and it costs less to run than the old system.

In the summer when I’m home it is at 70F. When I’m out, it is at 78F. During the winter when I’m home it is at 64F and when I’m out it is at 45F.

I live in Florida, but in an apartment. In the morning the sun shines in the front, and in the evening the rear. I don’t turn the AC on at all during the day while I’m at work, but when I get home I turn it to 70. This cools the bedroom enough for my daily treadmill workout, and when I’m done I turn it off again.
I don’t think it ever gets warmer than 80, though I’ve seen it at 82 occasionally. On the weekends I turn it on to maybe 75 when I’m home, lower if I have company.

I like it freezing so I let it hover around 70 degrees when I’m away, and crank it down to 60 when I’m there. A neat side benefit is that despite living in places with plenty of entry points, it’s been years since I saw a cockroach inside any of my residences. Apparently, they can’t tolerate those temperatures for long.

I don’t have central air so I set the control on the window unit to 66. Doesn’t mean much for the areas not close by though!

In the winter, 55 and turn it up to 62 to really treat myself to some warmth.

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We Canadians like it cold. :stuck_out_tongue:

Right now it’s set to about 75°F. The thermostat is on the main floor, which means the basement is always too cold and the upstairs is always too hot – I keep the main floor a little cooler than I’d like, just to keep my bedroom from being too hot to sleep in (I also use the bedroom ceiling fan). Last night we had thunderstorms and an overnight low in the 70s – after a humid day in the 90s – and I came very close to having to sleep on the couch.

In the winter, I’ll set it to around 72°. I don’t mind wearing socks and sweatpants while hanging out on the couch, but I’ll raise the temp if I find myself wanting to use a blanket. Likewise, the lever moves to the right if my nose gets very cold. :slight_smile:

Like others have mentioned, I’d rather pay more than be uncomfortable in my own home.

60 degrees farenheit 24/7/365. But I do not have air conditioning. When it is really hot, I stay in my yard and relax in the hammock or sky chair. By bedtime, my house is comfortable.

I’ve got a programmable thermostat, so it adjusts itself all day to what I tell it to. I like to sleep cold, so it’s 71 at night, and then I go to work and it’s 82, and I come home and I think it’s 75 or something. It’s much warmer in parts of hte house, though, because of where the thermostat is. I hate the damned power bill, but it’s at least a lot better than the winter. It’s an old house, with original windows.

I set it to 78 in the summer. I work a lot, and the cat and dog prefer it hot. In winter, I set it to 65, and everyone just puts on/grows and extra layer of insulation.

Holy crap, you people are thin-blooded! They’d find me in a puddle if our t-stats were set that high. In the winter, ours are set for 72 for brief periods when we are home (first thing in the morning and just before getting home in the evening) and set back to 68 (max) during the night and working hours. During extreme cold snaps, we may turn it up to 74 to keep up with the heat loss, or crank up the gas fireplace. In the summer, they are all shut off. If it gets coolish, we put on a warmer shirt.

I have a window unit, I don’t turn it on until it is 80+ and either humid or still out. When it is on, it conditions most of the condo to 77ish. I hate getting electric bills>$30.

We only ever have to raise the temperature where we are so houses rarely have a/c. However, during the winter I have the thermostat set to 20C (68F) and my wife changes it to 22C (72F) when I’m not looking. It’s 22C in the house at the moment with no energy expenditure, as it’s been a lovely hot day today. :wink: