This story has been updated to reflect the number of residential customers served by Redding Electric Utility.
After a scorching July that set a new heat record and plunged residents into numerous days with temperatures well over 100 degrees, greater Redding caught a break in early August. Daytime highs are dipping into the 90s and nightime temperatures sinking into the 60s.
Now, it's the community's household electric bills that are doing the sweating.
In Redding, the average residential electric bill for July rose to $224.73, up just over $65 from June, according to the city's Redding Electric Utility, which services nearly 40,000 residential customers. And 5,998 residential accounts were behind on their payments in July, up about 100 households from the number of customers who were late on their payments in June, the agency said.
Knowing that there's still plenty of summer heat left for the North State, a recent unofficial poll by the Record Searchlight asked residents what AC setting they chose in their quest to achieve inside comfort with a reasonable power bill.
Nearly 1,600 people weighed in and their answers now settle the debate around Redding's go-to AC temperature.
MORE: Record heat in Redding has not been kind to these popular North State trees
Some readers also reached out to share their preferences, often dependent on the time of day, and their diverse strategies to to stay cool while also saving on energy bills, a tricky balance between comfort and cost.
Here are the R-S's findings about how households in Redding and nearby communities are using their air conditioning — probably California's most appreciated appliance these days — to stay cool while conserving energy throughout the scorching summer months.
Where do most people in Redding set their AC temperature?
Greater Redding residents like to keep their AC at 78 degrees, according to poll results. Just over one-quarter of the answers fell into this category.
The second most popular setting choice was 73 or lower. About 14% of the poll takers registered that preference.
About 13% of people said they turn their dial to 80 or above, the third most popular temperature.
Just about 10% of the poll takers said they set their AC at one of four temperatures — 74, 75, 76 or 77 degrees.
The least popular AC temperatures was 79 degrees, the poll showed.
MORE: Both Redding and Las Vegas shattered heat records. But which city is really 'hot stuff?'
Along with poll results, some readers provided comments about other factors for their AC choices.
"I have an indoor cat and to ensure her safety I keep my mobile home thermostat to 78° during warm weather," said reader Lisa Pereira via email.
Jennifer Covington, who's partial to keeping her temperature at 76, said on Facebook that using ceiling fans at the same time as the AC works well to keep her family cool. "Also invested in insulated blackout curtains — makes a HUGE difference in the summer since our kitchen and living room have big windows facing West," she wrote.
Others who responded said they dress for outdoor temperature while remaining indoors.
"I do 80 during the day and 70 at night LOL. Can't sleep when it's warm, run AC even in winter at night," Greta Corbin elaborated on Facebook.
A quick trip around several residential neighborhoods in Redding in August found that a good number of people are trying another creative DIY solution — leaving their garage doors up about 4 inches to 6 inches rather than closing them completely.
The idea is that the few inches of space allows the garage to vent heat out, in turn helping to lower the temperature in the rest of the house.
But does this strategy work?
While leaving the door slightly ajar can improve air circulation, there are risks, according to American Garage Door and Gates Systems near Denver. Downsides include making it easier for intruders to steal items from your garage or to get inside your home.
Unwanted critters and pests could also make it inside the garage, the company said, as could dust and debris.
And leaving a garage door partially open can also place additional stress on the door mechanism, affecting its performance and lifespan, the company said.
To keep your house cool, try these tips instead.
Money-saving cooling advice from Redding Electric Utility
REU recommends that to make cooling costs go down, turn up the thermostat, with 2 degrees the suggested amount. For every one degree warmer, REU said homeowners can save 3-10% on air conditioning costs.
Using ceiling fans can be effective, REU said, but turn them off when you leave the room because the fan's motor generates heat, not to mention that running fans in unoccupied rooms wastes energy.
Also, REU said, since windows are the top source of heat gain in a house, install solar screens, window treatments or Low-E windows that can significantly reduce heat gain and therefore cut air conditioning costs. The agency said Low-E windows have a microscopically-thin coating, even thinner than a human hair, that is transparent and reflects heat.
Chill out: Redding forecast: Temperatures to dip in the first half of August. How low will they go?
Some energy companies, including REU, offer energy discounts based on income, including for military veterans.
6 tips for keeping the chill in your AC unit
If you're looking to keep your home cooler, it's essential to keep your air conditioner in its best shape. Here are six easy tips to make sure it's running its coolest.
Change the air filter
Clean your vents
Keep the area around the outside unit clean and unblocked
Clean out the drain
Clean off the coils
Get your AC unit checked out by a professional
The Arizona Republic contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: This is the most popular AC temperature setting in Redding, poll shows
