Gizmodo - It's hot. Parts of your body are sticking to other parts of your body, and it's horrible. Lucky for you, you've got air conditioning. Unlucky for you, A/C is a real punisher on the power bill.
Here are a few tips for maximizing your cool without crippling your bank account.
Don't Be Greedy
You've been sweating your face off outside, and nothing feels better than coming in to a nice, cold room. Your impulse will be to set your A/C to 66 degrees and let it get nice and nippy. Don't. Keep it set to 78 degrees. You don't need to be cold, you just need to be comfortable. For every degree below 78, you are increasing your energy usage by approximately 8%. No bueno. You don't need to be indoors in a sweatshirt. Keep it at 78 or higher and rock a t-shirt and shorts. If you have a window unit with Low, Med, and Hi as your only options, keep it as low as you can handle.
Divide and Conquer
It's better to use your A/C minimally and have one cool room than to have your A/C maxed out and have your whole apartment only marginally less blistering. If you don't have a door that you can close between rooms, improvise! Hang a thick blanket in between rooms to create a nice cool-box that doesn't stress your A/C. (I recommend using picture-frame hangers, and then threading a few safety pins into the blanket so it's easy to put up and take down.)
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