The best temperature to set the air con at this summer

With summer well and truly here for another year, many people across the country are escaping the heat by cooling down at home with their air conditioning units.

While there’s no doubt that running the air con can make things more comfortable, it can often leave some people feeling too cold, or others to warm, and can send your energy bill soaring. That’s where setting your unit to the right temperature comes into play.

The tricky part is figuring out which temperature is going to cool you down without running up the energy bill too much. According to consumer review and comparison website Canstar Blue, standard air conditioner temperature should be set between 25 and 27 degrees for cooling in summer, although it really depends on where in Australia you live.

Using average temperature figures, Canstar Blue provided information about the optimum air conditioning temperature for different parts of Australia. For warmer parts of the country including North Queensland, North Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Central Australia, the temperature should be set between 21 and 23 degrees.

For residents across South East Queensland and North East New South Wales, the ideal temperature is 25 degrees, while South Australians should be adjusting their temperatures to 24 or 25. In Tasmania, where temperatures are generally cooler, 28 is recommended, while those in South West Western Australia will feel most comfortable at 23 or 24.

Meanwhile, residents across South East New South Wales, North East Victoria and the ACT should set the temperature to 26 or 27 degrees, while people in South Victoria should adjust the temperature to 24.

In simple terms, an air conditioner will use more electricity if it’s working harder, meaning the lower the temperature is, the more you’re likely to pay. Recent figures by Finder.com.au found that as many as one in five Australians leave their air con running when they’re not at home, costing up to $1.3 billion in wasted energy expenditure over summer.

According to the data, a typical split cycle air conditioning unit uses around 5.0kWh and costs an estimated 2.7 cents to run a minute. This could cost up to $13 per night, which could be even more if there’s more than one unit running at once.

Read more: The easiest ways to stay cool this summer without air-con

Of course, there are other things people can do to keep cooler. In addition to dressing accordingly by wearing natural materials and fibres, limiting physical activity to cooler parts of the day can also help. Switching off other appliances such as TVs or computers that use plenty of power and become very warm is another tip, while keeping fluids up and avoiding hot drinks can also keep body temperature down.

Do you use air conditioners in summer? What temperature do you set your unit at?