FPL recommendations for seasonal owners

[MichaelB]

This was new to me, and I thought it might be of interest to other members with seasonal residences. FPL recommends setting the thermostat at 72 degrees for 2 hours before sunrise, then 88 for the rest of the day. This combination of settings reduces the likelihood of mold and still conserves energy.

They have this and a few other suggestions here FPL offers snowbirds ways to save energy while away

 

[RAE]

Hmmm, that is news to me also - thanks for posting. They also suggest just running a dehumidifier (to save energy), rather than the A/C, to remove moisture and prevent mold. Has anyone who owns a Florida home done that (use only a dehumidifier during the summer when the home is vacant), and if so, what is your experience doing that? I have talked to people who have different opinions about that..........some say it's best to set the A/C at 80, some say a dehumidifier is all you really need.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

We do not use a de-humidifier as the AC has it built in. We have a guest suite we NEVER use above the garage and we keep the AC at 82 all year round, we do not heat it as it never gets colder than abut 65*F. That keeps the mold out. Our total home is 3,200 sqft and change with a pool and all electric cooking, the Electricity is only $134pm averaged over the year with FPL. We have a tankless water heater and a built in BBQ that runs on propane and that adds about $20pm. So no need to skimp and scrape on power.

 

[Freedom56]

We set ours to 79 (24/7), the maximum per our association guidelines when we are not there and 72 when we are. It's a high rise condo where the halls are at a constant 72 and my unit faces north. It rarely gets above 76 on its own except in July and August. We pay about $17-$19 per month to FPL when we are not there. Most of the energy is likely consumed by the fridge.

 

[socca]

FPL recommends setting the thermostat at 72 degrees for 2 hours before sunrise, then 88 for the rest of the day. This combination of settings reduces the likelihood of mold and still conserves energy.

I passed this advice along to my Dad several years ago, and we gave it a try in his FL snowbird condo (2200 sq ft single-story in a duplex). We didn't notice any mold or mildew after two summers of experimentation. I never found out if he saved any money on his utility bills. Unfortunately, last summer he also had a dehumidifier running, which ruined the experiment.

FPL has a huge load balancing problem in the summer, so much so that they offer a substantial discount to owners who are willing to have some of their major appliances remotely switched off during peak load times. I'm part of this program, and to my knowledge my A/C and/or water heater have never been remotely switched off.

With Florida's ongoing out-of-control population growth, FPL's summer load balancing problems are only going to get worse. I recommend that all Florida snowbird homeowners give FPL's recommendation a try.

P.S. FPL is one of the best utilities I have ever dealt with. I've only lost power for a maximum of 24 hours during 12 years as a customer, despite the occasional tropical storm or hurricane. The electricity rates are quite reasonable, too.