Summer can be tough on your household budget. As outdoor temperatures climb, your air conditioner may run for hours each day, pushing your electricity usage—and your monthly utility bill—higher.
The good news is that you don’t necessarily have to keep your home uncomfortably warm to reduce cooling costs. A smart thermostat can automatically adjust your home’s temperature based on your schedule, occupancy, and daily habits.
ENERGY STAR says heating and cooling account for a significant portion of the average American household’s energy use, making temperature management one of the most practical places to look for savings.
Here are several smart thermostat automations that U.S. homeowners can use this summer.
1. Create an “Away” Automation
One of the easiest ways to waste electricity is cooling an empty house.
If everyone leaves for work, school, errands, or other activities, your thermostat doesn’t need to maintain the same temperature you prefer while you’re home.
Set your smart thermostat to automatically raise the cooling temperature when the house is empty. Many ENERGY STAR-certified smart thermostats support occupancy detection or geofencing, allowing the system to recognize when household members leave.
For example:
- When everyone leaves: switch to Away mode.
- While away: allow the indoor temperature to rise.
- Before returning: automatically begin cooling the home.
- When someone arrives: return to your normal comfort setting.
This can be particularly useful for households that follow a predictable weekday schedule.
2. Use Geofencing Instead of Remembering to Adjust the Thermostat
How many times have you left home and realized later that the AC was still running at your preferred comfort setting?
Geofencing can help eliminate that problem.
Depending on the thermostat and app, your system can use your phone’s location to determine whether you’re home or away. When you leave a defined area around your home, the thermostat can switch to an energy-saving setting. When you’re approaching home, it can begin returning to your preferred temperature.
This is especially helpful for people with changing schedules because you don’t have to rely entirely on a fixed timetable.
3. Build a Sleep Schedule
You don’t necessarily need your daytime temperature setting while you’re sleeping.
Create a nighttime automation that gradually adjusts the thermostat when everyone goes to bed. You can then schedule it to return to your daytime setting shortly before your household normally wakes up.
For example:
10:30 p.m.: Switch to sleep temperature
6:00 a.m.: Begin returning toward the daytime setting
6:30 a.m.: Normal morning comfort setting
The exact temperatures should depend on your comfort level, humidity, HVAC system, and local climate.
4. Consider a 78°F Summer Setting
ENERGY STAR recommends a summer thermostat setting around 78°F when you’re home, provided that temperature is comfortable for you.
You don’t have to jump immediately from a much lower setting to 78°F. Instead, try increasing your thermostat gradually.
For example, if you normally keep your home at 72°F, experiment with:
73°F → 74°F → 75°F → 76°F
You may find that a slightly warmer setting is still comfortable, particularly when combined with ceiling fans and good airflow.
Remember that ceiling fans cool people rather than the room itself, so turn them off when the room is unoccupied. ENERGY STAR notes that using a ceiling fan can allow some households to raise the thermostat while maintaining comfort.
5. Create a “Hot Afternoon” Automation
In many parts of the United States, the hottest portion of the day occurs during the afternoon.
Instead of manually changing the thermostat throughout the day, use an automation that considers your household schedule and outdoor conditions if your thermostat supports those features.
For example:
Morning: Moderate cooling
Afternoon: Maintain a reasonable comfort setting
Evening: Adjust based on outdoor temperature and occupancy
Night: Use your sleep schedule
The goal isn’t necessarily to turn the AC off during the hottest part of the day. Rather, it’s to avoid unnecessarily aggressive cooling when nobody needs it.
6. Use Vacation Mode When You’re Traveling
Going away for several days?
Don’t leave your thermostat operating as if you’re still home.
Vacation mode can allow the thermostat to maintain a less energy-intensive setting while you’re away and then return the home to a comfortable temperature before you arrive.
ENERGY STAR specifically recommends using vacation functionality to manage temperatures during extended absences.
Before leaving, check:
- Your thermostat’s vacation settings
- Local weather conditions
- Indoor humidity
- Pets or plants that remain inside
- Any manufacturer recommendations for your HVAC system
If pets remain at home, prioritize their safety and comfort rather than maximizing energy savings.
7. Combine Temperature Automation With Occupancy Sensors
Some smart thermostats support additional room or temperature sensors.
These sensors can help identify differences between rooms. For example, a bedroom on the second floor may become significantly warmer than a shaded downstairs room.
Instead of simply lowering the thermostat for the entire house, use available sensors and schedules to better understand where cooling is actually needed.
This can be especially useful in larger homes or houses with uneven temperatures. ENERGY STAR notes that temperature sensors can help monitor rooms with differences caused by factors such as sun exposure or insulation.
8. Don’t Forget Your HVAC Filter
A smart thermostat can’t compensate for a poorly maintained HVAC system.
ENERGY STAR recommends checking air filters regularly. A dirty filter can restrict airflow and make the cooling system work harder.
Make filter checks part of your summer routine.
Depending on your home’s conditions and the filter type, you may need to replace or clean the filter more frequently. Always follow the HVAC manufacturer’s recommendations.
9. Monitor Your Energy Usage
One of the biggest advantages of a connected thermostat is the ability to see information about your heating and cooling behavior.
Some ENERGY STAR-certified smart thermostats provide energy-use reports that allow homeowners to compare performance over time.
Instead of guessing whether an automation is helping, check your usage before and after making changes.
Try changing one thing at a time:
- Create an Away schedule.
- Monitor your usage.
- Adjust your nighttime temperature.
- Monitor again.
- Experiment with your daytime setting.
This gives you a better idea of which changes actually work for your household.
10. Look for Utility Rebates
Before buying a smart thermostat, check your local electric utility’s website.
Some utilities offer rebates, discounts, or demand-response programs for qualifying smart thermostats. ENERGY STAR notes that certified smart thermostats can participate in certain utility programs designed to help manage electricity demand.
Your eligibility can depend on your location, utility provider, thermostat model, and HVAC system.
A Simple Summer Smart Thermostat Schedule
Here’s a basic starting point for a typical household:
| Time | Automation |
|---|---|
| 6:30 AM | Normal comfort setting |
| 8:00 AM | Switch to Away mode if everyone leaves |
| 4:30 PM | Begin pre-cooling if needed |
| 5:30 PM | Normal home setting |
| 10:30 PM | Sleep setting |
| Vacation | Activate Vacation mode |
Don’t treat these times as universal rules. Your schedule should reflect when your household is actually home.
How Much Can You Really Save?
There isn’t one guaranteed dollar amount because savings depend on your home’s insulation, HVAC efficiency, climate, electricity rates, thermostat settings, occupancy, and personal habits.
ENERGY STAR says certified smart thermostats save approximately 8% of heating and cooling bills on average, or about $50 per year, although actual savings can be higher or lower depending on circumstances.
ENERGY STAR’s certification criteria also require certified smart thermostats to demonstrate reductions in HVAC runtime using real-world data.
So the biggest benefit isn’t simply owning a smart thermostat. It’s using its automation features consistently.
Final Thoughts
A smart thermostat won’t magically eliminate a high summer electric bill, but it can make temperature management much easier.
The most useful strategy is to automate the moments when you don’t need full cooling:
- When you’re away
- While you’re sleeping
- During vacations
- Before you arrive home
- When rooms aren’t occupied
Start with a simple Away and Sleep schedule, monitor your energy usage, and gradually adjust your settings until you find a balance between comfort and savings.
For U.S. homeowners facing higher summer cooling costs, smart thermostat automation can be a relatively simple way to make the HVAC system work smarter instead of simply running longer.
Energy savings vary by home, climate, HVAC equipment, electricity rates, and thermostat settings. Always follow your HVAC manufacturer’s recommendations and prioritize safe indoor temperatures for children, older adults, pets, and anyone who may be sensitive to heat.
