At what room temp do you turn your AC on? (Sacramento: apartment, house)

[puffjunk]

We moved from Florida to Cali 4 years ago,,, used to use our AC all the time there or you could be extreamly uncomfortable because of the humidity in FL. We bought a house in socal, which has over
1900 square feet, set the AC temp at 72-70 in the summer...
Our electricity bill went up to 700 bucks in one Aug.
Me and my husband were seriously blown away how high it went!!!!
Then I noticed a lot of people here, even the outside is 90f, does not use AC, which seems a little extream to me lol...
We still use our AC, but put the setting a little high on 74f-75f in summer times.
Still our bill keeps 400-500 in summer times for a month.
I am just curious at what room tempurature does people use AC in California...

[2sleepy]

I'm in Sacramento County and ours goes on when it's 78 degrees, but when the sun goes down it usually gets a little breezy so we turn it off and use ceiling fans and open the windows.

[saibot]

We never use the whole house A/C here in Orange County. There is usually about one week or so in the summer when it's so hot that I turn on a room A/C during part of the day just to get a break, but the rest of the time we get by just fine with open windows and fans.

[jbunniii]

I usually turn it on if the indoor temp reaches 85. It doesn't happen all that often. Outdoor temp of 90 doesn't necessarily mean it has to be that hot inside. Keep the blinds and windows closed on the sunny side of the house if it's going to be a hot day. Then when the sun goes down, open everything and turn on some fans to bring in the cool air. You can also spend a few bucks to put some real insulation in your attic instead of the craptastic couple-inch layer that is typical in California. Solar panels may also make sense if you are staying in the house for a long time and really like running the A/C.

[Count David]

This Californian just brought his portable in from the garage when his non-California house heated up to 84F indoor.

[SandyCo]

My A/C goes on if the temperature goes above 75. Luckily my apartment is on the first floor, and this building is well insulated, but I routinely pay electric bills of $250 (for two months - DWP) in the summer. I'm 51 years old now, and experiencing hot flashes, so 65 degrees is the perfect temperature for me. When it gets really hot here the A/C won't even be able to keep up with a 75 degree setting, let alone where I'd feel comfortable. Maybe I should move to Alaska? (Nah, I'll just buy more fans!)

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Sorry, we ain't got no AC at the hillbilly shack (other than whatever onshore breeze can blow into a window). Honestly, we rarely open the windows, it would get too chilly.

[cb73]

I set mine at 82 and it goes on after it gets to between 95 and 100 outside. That way I can keep the bill to around $100 a month during the summer. I mostly am outside on the patio when it's hot--I get the shade of the house and it's free.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

We might use it once or twice a year. But then, I took the house down to the foundation and put in max insulation. It's paying off nicely.

[Tulemutt]

I just don't go below decks if it gets uncomfortable with all the hatches open down there. If it gets uncomfortable topside under shade of the Bimini, I just go over the side for a dip to cool down. Don't have any electric bill at all.