WEST VIRGINIA (WOAY) – A new consumer report states that you should keep your thermostat no lower than 78°.
A federal program, Energy Star, under the Department of Energy says that your thermostat should not be set to anything lower than 78° during the day. It also recommends that you should keep your air at 82° while you are sleeping, and 85° while you are not at home. The Department of Energy says you’ll save about 3 percent on your utility bill for every degree you raise the set temperature for your central air.
If you’re more heat-tolerant, you can experiment with the temperature, raising it 1° F at a time to see how it affects your comfort and your budget; 3 percent savings per degree adds up pretty quickly.
If you aren’t comfortable at 78° F, lower the temperature a degree at a time and let your system reach the new setting before ratcheting it down further.
