Staying comfortable in your home requires compromise. Cost savings versus environmental friendliness are the key motivators. Home comfort, on the other hand, is something the average Twin Cities homeowner is not willing to sacrifice. This post quantifies the cost to cool a residential home in Minnesota with standard central air conditioning, making it easy to decide whether dialing down an extra degree is worth it or not.
The Cost to Cool Your Minnesota Home
There are many variables to consider when calculating the cost of cooling your Minneapolis metro area home with central air conditioning. Generally speaking, the difference between the outdoor and indoor air temperature is the largest factor. This is known as the cooling load. If it’s a 95-degree day here in Minneapolis and the thermostat is set to 70 degrees, then the cooling load is 25 degrees. That cooling load is substantial.
It’s during these days when the cost of home comfort for you and your family is especially high. This first few degrees adjustment to the thermostat for your home air conditioning change can add up to an 8-10% savings on your energy bill!
Take, for example, the thermostat set to 73 degrees in a Minnesota household, which would normally cost $90 to cool in the hot summer months of July and August.
Consider the following potential savings of 9% for the first three degrees of change:
If set at 74 degrees, the cost is estimated to be $81.90 = Savings of $9.10
If set at 75 degrees, the cost is estimated to be $74.53 = Savings of $15.47
If set at 76 degrees, the cost is estimated to be $63.77 = Savings of $26.23
These Owens estimated savings are for demonstration purposes only and not meant to be a guarantee of savings. Exact savings for your home are dependent on a number of factors, including thermostat settings.
Home comfort in the hot Twin Cities weather comes at a cost. Conversely, if you can find ways to tolerate a few extra degrees warmer in your home, the cost savings can be significant. See our past post, Spring Tune-Up Checklist, for some good tips on staying comfortable in your home while remaining energy efficient.
What’s so Smart about a Smart Thermostat?
Smart thermostats, once considered a luxury five years ago, are now common place in Minnesota homes. Technological advances are increasing energy efficiency (and thus cost savings) so significantly there is no argument that smart thermostats should be in every residential home. Owens’ highly recommends smart thermostats, regardless of brand, as long as they are user friendly and easy to operate.
Understanding your home size, the comfort of your family, and the variables to keep your home cool versus saving money can be complex.
Check out our Residential air conditioning blog posts for more information.
Or contact Owens, and we will help you determine your best cost-saving versus home comfort costs.
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