Pre-cooling your home in the summer

UniSource electric customers should consider pre-cooling their homes before on-peak times, when the demand for energy is greater and costs are higher. Here are some general guidelines for how to pre-cool your home. Depending on the type, size and age of your AC system and home, pre-cooling times may vary.

• Set the thermostat temperature three degrees lower than your preferred setting three hours before the summer on-peak hours of 3-7 p.m. weekdays from May through October. This means if your normal setting is 78 degrees, you should set your thermostat to 75 degrees from 12-3 p.m. to pre-cool your home before on-peak hours begin.
• When summer on-peak hours begin at 3 p.m., adjust your thermostat several degrees higher than your normal setting so that the air conditioning runs less frequently. If your preferred setting is 78, set the thermostat to 81 degrees until after 7 p.m. when off-peak hours begin.

One of the advantages of having a smart thermostat is that it will learn this routine in a few days and automatically begin to pre-cool your home during the warmer months.