Warning: My rental AC ran all day until I tried a simple shift

In my experience, opening windows and hitting cafes in the afternoon cut my power use way down, but your mileage may vary.

4 comments

4 Comments

max3611mo ago

My friend Lisa in Austin had her AC running all day last July! Her electric bill hit $200 that month, which was crazy. She started opening all her windows early and heading to the local library by noon. Her next bill was only $150, and her place stayed cool enough in the evenings. She said the library had free wifi and coffee, so it was a total win. Now she does this every summer without fail!

murphy.gavin1mo ago

Lisa's library move is smart. I used to waste money cooling an empty place until I put the AC on a timer. Set it to turn off after you leave and back on before you get home. That way you save cash without coming back to a hot box. It takes one setup and then you don't have to remember a thing. Forgetting is normal, but a timer fixes it without rearranging your whole day.

elliotnelson1mo ago

Oh man, @max361, Lisa is clearly smarter than me. I just sat through another $180 bill because I kept forgetting to turn my own AC off before leaving the house. Why is it so hard to just plan my day around the heat like she does?

bailey.shane1mo ago

I mean, the timer idea is good but it only works if your schedule is the same every day. If you come home early or stay out late, you're either wasting money or coming back to a hot place. I just use a smart plug with my phone so I can turn it on from anywhere, which feels way more flexible to me.