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Consumer Reports Recommends Best Air Conditioning Settings

In the summer and even into the fall, utility bills can be quite high as we try to stay cool in the blistering heat, and most of us keep our…

Consumer Reports Recommends Summer Cool Air Setting At 85 Degrees
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In the summer and even into the fall, utility bills can be quite high as we try to stay cool in the blistering heat, and most of us keep our air conditioning running high.

According to Consumer Reports, while it may take some compromise from some members of your family, the Department of Energy and Energy Star recommends that for optimal cooling and energy efficiency, you find a temperature at which you’re comfortable when you’re at home and awake.

Once your family agrees on a thermostat setting, Energy Star suggests increasing the temperature setting by 4° F when you’re asleep and 7° F when no one is home.

For example, you can try the following settings:
• 78° F when you’re home
• 85° F when you’re at work or away
• 82° F when you’re sleeping

In the national Consumer Reports survey (PDF) of 2,280 U.S. adults in June 2021, the average temperature that Americans keep their thermostats set to is about 71 degrees during the day and night.

The temperature varies a smidge by region, with Americans living in the South reporting that they set their temperatures the highest (72° F during the day and 71° F at night), and those living in the Northeast set it coldest (70° F both day and night).

Nancy Brooks has been working in the country music industry for almost 30 years. She has interviewed pretty much any country star you can think of. In the late 1990s, she started working with Dolly Parton. And yes, Nancy reports that Parton is as sweet as you would think. She loves her life in country music and has been backstage at every CMA Awards show since the late 1990s. Many of her stories are from her one-on-one interviews. She was there at the beginning of the incredible careers of many music superstars today, including Taylor Swift, Shania Twain, and Blake Shelton, and has interviewed them multiple times throughout the years.