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Except that I moved away from the south and haven't missed it for a millisecond.
When I lived in TN my electric bill in the summer, with the AC set to 74, was MUCH less than my electric bill in the winter with the heat set to 62-64. Summer bill would usually run $60-80, while in winter it would be $150-275. So yeah, for me it was considerably cheaper to cool than to heat, even using AC in humid heat.
That is because most areas of the South still use electric heat pumps which are HIGHLY INEFFICIENT and expensive to heat a building structure. Most areas further north have forced natural gas heat, hot water baseboard heat, or propane heat.
That is because most areas of the South still use electric heat pumps which are HIGHLY INEFFICIENT and expensive to heat a building structure. Most areas further north have forced natural gas heat, hot water baseboard heat, or propane heat.
most people run the AC inefficiently. All you need to do is run it during the day, then open all windows during the night. This will even work in humid south florida, or high hot phoenix. Whereas you need to run the heat 24/7 in all places with a true winter. So it's definitely cheaper unless you're running the temp on your AC to refrigerator levels
most people run the AC inefficiently. All you need to do is run it during the day, then open all windows during the night. This will even work in humid south florida, or high hot phoenix. Whereas you need to run the heat 24/7 in all places with a true winter. So it's definitely cheaper unless you're running the temp on your AC to refrigerator levels
Um...no. WRONG!
I grew up in the Mojave desert, and have lived in south Texas, which is similar to Florida in regards to heat and humidity.
In a dry climate, one MAY POSSIBLY get away with turning off the AC at night, depending on how great the cool down is.
In a humid climate? No flipping way!! It's entirely too warm and muggy to be remotely comfortable at night with no AC!
I grew up in the Mojave desert, and have lived in south Texas, which is similar to Florida in regards to heat and humidity.
In a dry climate, one MAY POSSIBLY get away with turning off the AC at night, depending on how great the cool down is.
In a humid climate? No flipping way!! It's entirely too warm and muggy to be remotely comfortable at night with no AC!
I lived in Puerto Rico and Mississippi without AC. In fact, my entire life I never owned a property with AC. But I did rent properties with AC and while you can say my tastes are on the warmer side, some of the people I stayed with were not. When I rented in South Beach, I had a gf who ACed her place to refrigerator levels. So I wanted her to be comfortable at mine, so I put the AC on to 78 during the day and turned it off at night. Opened all the windows, and let the ocean breezes circulate. She never complained, in fact by the end she was snuggled up in the sheets. Keep in mind this was the summer and the night time air temp was 85 or so when I stopped the AC and maybe only fall to 80 by morning. But the breeze felt good and cold, and it was 100% humidity. Have you stepped in 80F water? it feels cool to even cold. What makes it feel hot is often the sun, you notice that when you're on the beach and the sun falls behind the buildings (in miami beach the condominiums) as it's setting and you feel cold with the breeze even though it's 90ish and 100% humidity.
In Mississippi i slept many nights outdoors because my place trapped heat (it was like a oven during the day with its black roof). Inside felt stuffy but outside felt great, even though there was not much of a breeze and it was in the 80s/70s with humidity at night.
In Puerto Rico I never needed it. The ocean breezes were so strong, I always woke up snuggled in blankets by the mornings.
most people run the AC inefficiently. All you need to do is run it during the day, then open all windows during the night. This will even work in humid south florida, or high hot phoenix. Whereas you need to run the heat 24/7 in all places with a true winter. So it's definitely cheaper unless you're running the temp on your AC to refrigerator levels
How would the HEAT need to run 24/7 if your house is energy efficient? The furnace would cycle on and off depending on the ambient outdoor temperature. It takes less energy to heat than cool and I've heard of $300-400 monthly electric bills in states like TX.
Only a few places become too hot in the lower
48 United States. Really only the desert southwest
around Phoenix Arizona, West Texas, and South
Florida get too hot. That's it. Las Vegas can get
too hot but it cools off greatly at night.
How would the HEAT need to run 24/7 if your house is energy efficient? The furnace would cycle on and off depending on the ambient outdoor temperature. It takes less energy to heat than cool and I've heard of $300-400 monthly electric bills in states like TX.
yeah it'd turn on and off, but you'd be running it the whole day. Put it this way, you set the AC to 78. In 99% in the USA it'll run very little to nothing at night even at the height of the summer (and you could simply turn it off, low80s is ok too).
Whereas in the winter, when it doesn't even break freezing during the day and your setting the house heat to 60 (which I do in the winter to save energy)?
Lol it's running hard in the day, and when night comes it's working even harder.
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Ixnay!
