Here in Las Vegas, it is kind of mandatory in the summer months.
Even though we set our thermostat to a relatively toasty 84 degrees, it still feels like an icy breeze when we walk in from 115 degree weather.
I rarely use it in the car. I just open the windows.
If it weren’t for my wife I would almost never use the central air. She does not tolerate heat or cold well. She wants it at 70 all the time.
It’s running right now.
Northern Wisconsin here. I use the A/C mainly because I hate the neighborhood noises; screaming kids, barking dogs, loud vehicles. Otherwise I’d leave the windows open.
Yes. Mississippi has a hot humid subtropical climate with long summers and short, mild winters. We also get about 60 inches of rain per year. Besides cooling things off, air conditioning helps to keep things from getting moldy (such as leather shoes).
It usually hits 105 or so in July and August in our particular microclimate, so yes, AC is a requirement.
Weather here can be downright weird. While we’re sweltering at 100, it’s not uncommon for San Francisco to be closer to 60 or 70, just 35 miles away.
I live in central Florida, We have the air set at 74 and it bloody well stays there. I could easily take it down to 69 but the bill would give me a heart attack if Nashiitashii didn’t slaughter me for a coat first. We turn it off in the winter for a few weeks when it dips into the 60’s and 70’s. Otherwise it really is easier to leave it set than to play the set when you leave for work game. It takes an hour or more to cool back down, and humidity is terrible.
Tampa, Florida. We use the A/C about four- six months of the year, from about April-October, depending on the year. Some years the summer lasts longer than others. We usually set it at 80 F during the day and down to 77-78 at night, unless I’m working from home, then I have to put it at 76 during the afternoon because of the sun shining on my office window. Our average energy bill is about USD 100 / month. Our home is approximately 2000 square feet (forget what that is in meters).
All the time. The summers are getting warmer here, and the TimeWindress has all sorts of allergies: opening windows in Oregon is pretty much out of the question for pollen or mold sufferers. A/C keeps the air moving (and filtered).
Springfield, Illinois.
The A/C is on whenever I feel hot enough to turn it on (above about 75F, usually), regardless of the the date on the calendar. It’s been on in February before.
I grew up in a house managed by parents who thought sitting around in stifling heat built character. The A/C never came on before July. I swore I would never live like that again, and I have kept my word. When I’m hot, I turn on the A/C. I make no apologies for it.
I grew up in Arkansas and live in the DC area, both of which require AC from May thru October. There are few pleasures in this world sweeter than coming out of 100 degree/high humidity weather into a well-chilled, air conditioned room. I’d definitely give up my car before I’d give up AC.
I have a window unit that is strong enough to cool the whole apartment and I leave it on when I am home, and overnight. Not getting good sleep messes up work and just isn’t worth it. It’s not clear whether we will have A/C at work this year so getting cool sleep will be doubly important.
Every once in a while there’s a year when it cools down enough at night to not use it – last year was one and so was maybe five or six years ago. Everyone else complains that we didn’t have a “real summer” but I love it!
ETA: Central Air is a wonderfulness I dream about. Coolness without the noise of the window unit? Heaven!
Oh, yes, dear. The 80’s are very hot. <nods>
Here in South Carolina, yes, we use our AC. We had something like 30 3 digit heat index days in a row last year.
I hate the heat and would not own a house without central air.
I live in Texas and it gets as hot as 115 at times. We love our A/C!
Yes, more to knock down the humidity than the temperature. I suspect I’ll be using it a lot more here than I did in Denver.
Do you use the AC in your house?
Looks at location…
ummm… yes!
Wait, doesn’t it get humid in MD, too? Even in New England high 80s to low 90s with 90% humidity aren’t uncommon in July and August. ACs come in handy then, just for that. I don’t want an AC in my bedroom ever, but I’m glad for them in other parts of the house.
Don’t have central air, but I do have a very large lake in my back (front?) yard, name of Michigan, a major influence in keeping temps relatively constant and cool in summer. About two humid days in August I could use some air conditioning when the temperature suddenly shoots up to 85F. For about 2 hours.
But a tall glass of iced tea is as good or better and much cheaper. And if I closed my windows, I couldn’t hear the waves.
Although an attic fan wouldn’t be a bad idea for the warmest days & nights.
I have had to run the A/C in my house in every month of the year. January is a pretty light month and most years I don’t have to, but there have been times. S. Louisiana