Does Leaving Your HVAC Off Really Save You the Money You Want?

Will turning your A/C off save money this summer? That’s a question we hear a lot. Running an air conditioner during the summer is a significant expense in most household budgets. While taking steps like getting annual preventative maintenance by a qualified HVAC service provider helps make sure your system is operating up to the manufacturer’s efficiency specs, you may wonder whether you can go further by simply turning your A/C off to save money during daytime hours when nobody’s home.

Don’t consider this option if you have pets, however. Temperatures inside a house with the A/C off can rise above the safe level recommended by veterinarians: generally around 78 degrees, maximum.

If all occupants of your home are humans and they’ll be out of the house a predictable number of hours per day, you may want to consider turning your A/C off during that period. Here are some factors to consider:

• Certainly, you can cut electrical consumption and reduce monthly bills by completely shutting down the air conditioner for hours each day. A recent survey indicates that average national operating costs for a typical residential central air conditioner is about 45 cents per hour. By shutting down the system during eight-hour periods on the weekdays, when residents are at work, you could save $3.60 a day or about $70 a month, based on a five-day work week. Caveat: Your results will likely vary depending on the efficiency of your A/C and the cost of electricity from your local utility.
• Shutting down the A/C also reduces wear and tear on vital system components like the compressor and the blower fan. Fewer operating hours may mean greater reliability and less repairs or replacements.
• Of course, there’s a downside: coming home to a hot house. However, air conditioners are actually designed to remove heat rapidly in hot conditions and can handle the cooling load without incurring excessive wear. In most cases, a well-maintained, efficient central A/C can cool a hot house down to a comfortable temperature in only about 10 minutes.

For more answers to questions about turning your A/C off to save money, contact the cooling pros at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning.