What is the cost of comfort? How nightly AC settings could affect your power bill

Jeff Ehling Image
Tuesday, May 25, 2021
How your nightly thermostat settings affect your power bill
What's your ideal temp? 72? 71? Turns out just one degree lower could cost you more every month.

Do you love to sleep in a cold room? Now that summer is here, the cost of comfort could be steep.

The Department of Energy says each degree you lower the AC adds 10% to your bill, but that data looks at the entire day. ABC13 wanted to know about lowering the thermostat at night.

Summertime power bills are no joke. One way to increase your bill is by lowering the thermostat at night.

The experts over at Reliant Energy tell us each degree you lower the AC at bedtime can add about 5% to your monthly bill.

If you find that your home just isn't cool enough at night, that is a problem, and the answer could lie in your attic.

Gaps in duct work push cold air into your attic, and that could be the reason you don't feel cool enough.

Fixing the issue will make your AC run more efficiently and will save you money.

"I think issues with duct work are way more common than people think," said Arcadio Padilla of Reliant Energy. "I have been in residential energy efficiency for nearly two decades and that is one of the most common issues I find."

What's the best advice experts can give? Get your AC system checked before summertime, and have a professional take a look at your duct work.

Follow Jeff Ehling on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

RELATED: How to prepare your home and A/C unit for the warmer temperatures

How to prepare your home and A/C unit for the warmer temperatures