It's an ongoing debate in many South Dakota households. What is the RIGHT temperature to set your air conditioner thermostat during a hot South Dakota summer?

This summer has been a hot one. Household air conditioners have been running long and hard.

And if you have more than just yourself to keep cool at your house chances are you have had a conversation/argument about what is the right temperature to set your thermostat.

What Is The Right Temp To Set South Dakota Summer Thermostat-Getty Thinkstock
What Is The Right Temp To Set South Dakota Summer Thermostat-Getty Thinkstock
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At our house, my wife sets the air conditioner at +74. I prefer it a little lower around +70.

We keep it at +74.

Turns out the U.S. Department of Energy thinks we should keep things set a bit warmer during the summer.

The DOE says in order to be energy-efficient while cooling your home appropriately we should set the air conditioner to +78 degrees.

Given the choice +78 with this South Dakota humidity seems a bit too warm for a comfortable household climate.

I believe if I were to insist that we keep our house cooled to +78 degrees my wife would insist I find somewhere else to live.

What Is The Right Temp To Set South Dakota Summer Thermostat-Getty Thinkstock
What Is The Right Temp To Set South Dakota Summer Thermostat-Getty Thinkstock
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The DOE also says that you can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling bills by simply turning your thermostat 7 to 10 degrees up for summer or down for winter for 8 hours a day from its normal setting.

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