If i shut off the A/C when I leave home, Do I save money or waste money on my electric bill???

Me and my gf just got our own apt. and we were talking about the cost of energy bills, I say when we leave in the morning we shut everything off including the A/C and we will save. She says it will drive the energy bills up because it will take longer to cool the house if its been off all day, Can somebody let me know what is the most cost efficient way to save on the energy bills?. Also if youre in the North Houston area what is the best company to go with to save some money?

If i shut off the A/C when I leave home, Do I save money or waste money on my electric bill???
Don't use an A/C cause it just wastes money anyways. Try non-electrical ways of cooling a house, go green.
Reply:There are really a *lot* of factors involved such as the size of your apartment, whether or not your side of the building is facing the sun, how well insulated the building is, how many windows you have (and how large they are), how many BTUs your air conditioner uses, etc. The most efficient way to save on energy bills is to do what I do - wear less clothing and just use fans instead of A/C. Another thing you could consider is leaving the A/C off when you're not at home, and having it set up so that it's right next to you most of the time. Since I have an office at home, a small A/C right next to my desk in the nearest window would cool things down for me instantly and keep me cool most of the time.





* No, I've never been to Houston "Bdancer2" , but my area (lower New York) often has temperatures in the high 90's and sometimes goes over 100 degrees during the summer, and walking around in my skivvies while relying on fans and open windows alone are AOK for me. Maybe I just like the heat, who knows. But according to the following link, Houston generally doesnt go above 93.6 degrees fahrenheit: http://www.rssweather.com/climate/Texas/...


Yes, I realize you feel incredibly stupid right now.
Reply:She is right. You are wrong.





If you turn it off completely, the AC will run longer and harder to cool off everything. You can save by turning the temp up 10 or 15 degrees when you leave.





Of course, to really save, get use to the temp being a little warmer than you normally like it. Living with 78 instead of 70 will make a big difference in your bill.





PS: Only folks who have never been to Houston in the summer would recommend wearing less clothes and using fans instead of AC.
Reply:Don't really know the answer to your question but I can tell you this... my boyfriend and I were gone for 3 weeks and we turned off all of our electricity, including our fridge... when our electric bill came in the mail it didn't look like it made a difference at all... strange huh?
Reply:I think your better option is not to completely shut it off, but to set it up to about 80 degrees, this way it won't have to completely re-cool the house, and you will also save on cooling while you're not there.