What Temperature Should I Set My Thermostat in an OKC Summer?
Search this question and every result gives you the same one-word answer: 78. It's not wrong, but it's half the answer, and the missing half is where the real savings live in Oklahoma City. Because here, thanks to how OG&E prices electricity, when you cool matters as much as what number you land on. Set 78 and forget it, and you're leaving money on the table.
The short version: aim for about 78°F when you're home and awake, 82–85°F when you're away, and 78–80°F while you sleep, then pre-cool before 2 p.m. and let it drift up during OG&E's 2–7 p.m. peak. That combination keeps you comfortable while cutting cooling costs from both directions: how hard the AC works, and when it works.
Is 78°F really the magic number?
78°F is the widely recommended setting because it's comfortable for most people while keeping your AC from overworking. Treat it as a solid starting point, not a law, so adjust a degree or two to your own comfort. The bigger opportunity isn't finding a perfect single number; it's varying the setting through the day so you're not paying to hold 78 in an empty house at 3 p.m.
The settings that actually save money
Most of the savings come from easing off cooling when you don't need it:
Situation - Recommended setting:
- Home and awake: ~78°F
- Sleeping: 78–80°F (to comfort)
- Away from home: 82–85°F
Letting the house warm up while you're out, then cooling it back down before you return, uses noticeably less energy than holding one temperature around the clock, and a programmable or smart thermostat does it automatically so you never think about it.
The OKC move: work around OG&E's 2–7 p.m. peak
Here's the part the generic "set it to 78" advice skips entirely. If you're on one of OG&E's SmartHours plans, electricity costs significantly more during peak hours, 2 to 7 p.m. on summer weekdays, and much less the rest of the day. So the smartest play isn't a fixed number; it's a rhythm:
- Before 2 p.m.: pre-cool your home a couple of degrees below your target while power is cheap.
- 2–7 p.m.: let the thermostat drift up a few degrees and coast on that stored cool, avoiding the priciest electricity.
- After 7 p.m.: return to your comfortable evening setting.
You get through the expensive window using far less of it. The in-post graphic lays this daily rhythm out at a glance.
Should I turn the AC off completely when I leave?
No, raise the temperature, don't shut it off. It's tempting to think "off" saves the most, but on a hot Oklahoma day a fully shut-off system lets the house bake and get humid, and then your AC has to run long and hard to recover, often erasing the savings. Setting it to 82–85°F while you're out keeps the home from overheating while still easing your energy use.
Don't chase humidity by cranking it lower
One more Oklahoma-specific trap: if the house feels muggy, resist the urge to drop the thermostat to fight it. A colder setting doesn't remove moisture, it just runs up your bill while you stay clammy. Muggy-but-cool is a humidity problem, not a temperature one, so the fix is drying the air, not chilling it further.
How to stay comfortable at a higher setting
A few habits let you set the thermostat higher without feeling it:
- Run ceiling fans to feel several degrees cooler (turn them off in empty rooms, since fans cool people, not spaces).
- Close blinds on sunny windows during the day.
- Use exhaust fans after cooking or showering to clear heat and humidity.
- Manage humidity, since drier air feels cooler at the same temperature.
Direct Air is a family-owned Oklahoma City HVAC company, and if holding a comfortable temperature is a daily struggle, your system, or your thermostat, may be the reason. A smart thermostat handles the pre-cool-and-coast rhythm automatically. Learn more about smart thermostat installation in Oklahoma City.
Cooling Homes Across the OKC Metro
Direct Air helps homeowners stay comfortable and efficient in Del City, Oklahoma City, Midwest City, and throughout the surrounding area, Edmond, Norman, Moore, Yukon, Mustang, Choctaw, Nichols Hills, Newcastle, Purcell, El Reno, and Weatherford, OK.
Frequently asked questions
What temperature should I set my thermostat in summer? About 78°F when you're home is the recommended balance of comfort and savings, with higher settings (82–85°F) while you're away and 78–80°F while you sleep.
Is it cheaper to leave my AC at one temperature all day? No. Letting your home warm up while you're away and cooling it before you return uses less energy than holding one low temperature continuously.
Should I turn off my AC when I'm not home? Raise it to 82–85°F rather than turning it off. A fully heated, humid home forces the AC to work hard to recover, which often cancels out the savings.
What's the best thermostat setting during OG&E peak hours? Pre-cool before 2 p.m., then let the thermostat drift up a few degrees during the 2–7 p.m. peak. This shifts your heaviest cooling to cheaper hours.
How much can raising my thermostat save? Each degree higher reduces cooling costs, and over a hot Oklahoma summer, combining a higher setting with peak-hour shifting can add up to meaningful savings.
