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If we weren't frugal we'd turn the a/c on, instead of basically sweating with the slightest of activity, using just fans July thru Oct. but if not frugal we'd likely set it cold enough to need sweaters!! Like 72 or lower.
Even with fuel costs going down we still pay almost 38 cents per kWh and our a/c unit is very old and not efficient so we Never use it at all.
If I weren't trying to be frugal, during the summer i'd have the A/C set to 74 during the day and 68 during the night.
When I lived in my apt. it was all bills paid (electric, water and garbage) so my thermostat stayed at 68 degrees 24/7/365. I even ran the A/C during the winter (hot flashes are a bi*ch)
Now that I have a single family home I have to be cheapo with the A/C (i'm not dying in there at 76, but I do keep a huge fan running on max about an inch from my bed)
For me its about frugality; I wear lighter weight clothing, even in the winter. Have my temp set for 75 during colder months. So far this season, haven't turned on the AC in June. Having it warms my preference
Winter temps are between 62-67, and summer temps 76-80, depending upon time of day, and humidity level. I used to keep it higher in summer (85 for A/C) but my husband is now working from home, and he doesn't handle higher temps well. Wimp.
If I weren't frugal, it wouldn't change a whole lot. Maybe 67-69 in winter and 76-78 in summer. I prefer to adapt to changing outdoor temps.
I'm sitting in my great room right now. It's going to be about 95 degrees at the peak. I have my thermostat set at 77 and a stand-alone fan blowing on medium as I like to have greater air flow. Honestly, it's perfectly comfortable, and I'm not saying that as a frugal person. It really feels nice.
That 77 on the dial is in reality about 75 or 74 degrees in room temperature. The breeze from the fan 6 ft away feels delightful. I also have the ceiling fan rotating but not on super high, just medium. For me it's about cutting the humidity and having some direct air flow. Even with my occasional hot flashes it feels very nice. Lower humidity & air flow are the 2 biggest factors for me when it comes to comfort in the summer, even more than a low temperature.
I could be REAL frugal in the summertime because I am very heat-hardy and do not like the A/C on until it reaches about 100. But I'm married to a man who starts melting in 80 degrees. And no, I'm not frugal during the winter with power because I can't handle cold at all. The poster above me is comfortable at 74, but I'm chilly at that temperature. I have to have my heat and that's why I don't harp on him about his a/c.
It was 95 here and my thermostat ... was still set at 77 and I still had my floor fan blowing and it still felt nice. The A/C came on a lot more often, of course, but it held the temps inside to a real feel temp of about 74 or 75.
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