# Should I turn my AC off the house when I leave for the day?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-turn-my-ac-off-the-house-when-i-leave-for-the-day/70515>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 28, 2001, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-turn-my-ac-off-the-house-when-i-leave-for-the-day/70515 "2001-06-28T20:33:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2001, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-turn-my-ac-off-the-house-when-i-leave-for-the-day/70515/1 "2001-06-28T20:33:21Z")

</div>

When I leave for work in the morning, I usually turn the thermostat up to about 85 or so. I like it to be about 74 when I sleep.

So, energy-wise, am I doing better by not cooling the house during the day and then cooling it all at once later in the evening once the sun goes down (I’m not usually home before 7 or 8pm), or should I keep the temperature constant?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2001, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-turn-my-ac-off-the-house-when-i-leave-for-the-day/70515/2 "2001-06-28T20:37:15Z")

</div>

Also, please feel free to make fun of the nonsense that is the subject of this thread.

Jeezus, I need to fire my proofreader. It’s been a typo-riffic week.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2001, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-turn-my-ac-off-the-house-when-i-leave-for-the-day/70515/3 "2001-06-28T20:42:53Z")

</div>

This was discussed at length very recently. I strongly urge you to Search for it - I would post a link, but sadly I keep timing out. ☹

The short answer - keep doing what you are doing.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2001, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-turn-my-ac-off-the-house-when-i-leave-for-the-day/70515/4 "2001-06-28T20:53:50Z")

</div>

Not only am I typo-ing like I am wearing mittens, but I have lost the ability to search as well.

[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=52856](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=52856)

[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=74000](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=74000)

Mods, if you’d like to shut this puppy down, feel free.