re: Dont forget to set your thermostat to 85 degrees when you aren't home

I doubt my house ever gets below 85. Wife likes keeping the back door open 24/7 so it’s sort of an open air environment.

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An HVAC system doesn't "work harder." It's either on or off (assuming single stage).

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Correct.
So it can run nonstop without a break or it can come on and off to keep a higher temp maintained.

And you are probably using more energy with the AC going full blast for a couple hours straight each day to catch up and get the setting to your desired set point. Meanwhile you are sweating your arse off waiting for the temp to go down.

In the second year of grad school in New York we arrived in August to a blistering heat wave. I shared an apartment with three roommates. One was from Louisiana, the other two were NJ and upstate NY. I was by myself and had to leave and left the AC running like a normal person. When I returned my Northern roommates were there and bitched me out. Told me I am paying for this and how could I be this naive. Both myself and my LA roommate asked why would you pay all this rent for a place you could not comfortably live in? The house had window units so all it did was manage the heat to reasonable levels, and would get hot instantly once turned off.

Using AC is sinful in the Northeast. The summer is miserable up there because businesses are propping doors open with fans instead of investing in a good AC system. They overlook the fact that is is very much needed for a couple months a year and instead they try to trudge through it and bitch about the heat wave and freak out that it is because of global warming etc etc.

We have heaters in Louisiana for 2 to 3 months a year,, but the opposite cannot be said for up north.

My father in law worked at West Marine. The HQ in California had remote control of the AC unit l, and the lowest they would set it at was 80 degrees. The manager would bitch at the regional manager about the conditions and 80 degrees in CA is a hell of a lot cooler that 80 in LA.

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Entergy bill is hardly ever over $70.

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I've got the next 4 months of 500+

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Were in our 40s and my wife (no pics) and I both prefer it at 77 day and night. We do like the ceiling fan on high at night, but feel cold if the AC is set in the low 70s. In the 60s is like a meat locker to me.

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I find that odd. I guarantee you that almost every building that you enter has it set to 70-72. I think that's what most people would consider a normal indoor temp.