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Because I鈥檓 me, I had to ask that former neighbor about why on earth he and so many around us run their air conditioners when it鈥檚 cool out. (The unasked question, of course, was 鈥淎nd how cold is it set on that it鈥檚 actually kicking on?鈥�) I don鈥檛 remember my exact phrasing, but I remember his answer well: 鈥淭hat鈥檚 how my parents did it.鈥� They turned on their air-conditioning and let it run May through September.

What in the what?

I must have had low blood sugar because that鈥檚 about the only time I seem to have the fortitude to speak to neighbors about stuff that bothers me, such as dogs being allowed to bark to their hearts鈥� delight outside. (Longer than five minutes and you鈥檙e a terrible neighbor, and by five, I mean two.)

I鈥檝e heard one reason people run their A/Cs in cold weather is due to 鈥渁llergies,鈥� which, OK, but in that case the someone might want to conduct a medical study here in Bend, because my house is surrounded by neighbors whose inability to ward off allergens warrants checking out.

If you think I鈥檓 nosey, perhaps you鈥檙e right, but it鈥檚 kind of hard not to be when our houses are spaced 10 feet apart, and we are actually under one another鈥檚 noses.

Air conditioners may quietly blow air, but they sure don鈥檛 sound like it outside.

Over the years, I鈥檝e had several neighbors on either side of me, all younger, more than half of them people who grew up in Bend.

To a household, renters or owners, they鈥檝e tended to run their air-conditioners when it鈥檚 cool to cold out.

To me, it鈥檚 gotta be 80 or over before I even feel the need for air conditioning.

That isn鈥檛 to suggest they run it only when it鈥檚 cold. I鈥檓 sure it鈥檚 warmish out when they turn on their A/Cs.

It鈥檚 that they don鈥檛 pay attention to

our 35-degree temperature swings in a day.

It鈥檚 the fact they don鈥檛 turn it off and take advantage of the breeze, it might get up to 83 one day, but most of the day is going to be well below that.

How to use nature鈥檚 air conditioning

Because the first few places my wife and I rented in Bend didn鈥檛 have air conditioning, we became adept, as so many here are, at using the outdoors to our advantage.

Opening windows in the early morning to get the cold air in, ideally getting the temperature inside to 62 to 65 degrees, using the breeze to our advantage, and then closing windows and blinds tight to let our homes鈥� insulation keep the hot air at bay.

In the evening, we鈥檇 open up again and maybe put a box fan or two in windows to pull out the hot air, then turn 鈥榚m around and pull in the cold air.

If there鈥檚 a breeze, you don鈥檛 even need a fan.

It worked. Those habits have informed our way of doing things in the 18 years we鈥檝e owned a home with central air. How much money does it save us?

I haven鈥檛 conducted a formal study, but it鈥檚 more than nothing.

We live in Central Oregon, folks. It鈥檚 the desert. Yes, deserts heat up during the day.

But the altitude makes it the High Desert, and it gets cold at night.

It was 35 degrees when I got up Monday morning. I didn鈥檛 even need to open windows.

I鈥檓 not here to lecture you about waste. I don鈥檛 have the energy for that random Facebook commenter alleging wokefulness.

But surely those who hate being awake must also dislike throwing their money away, right?

Running your air conditioner when it鈥檚 61 degrees out 鈥� as the current occupants of the first house I mentioned were doing Monday afternoon 鈥� is akin to turning on the heat in the middle of a hot summer day.

Would you turn your sprinklers on when it鈥檚 raining?

No, you wouldn鈥檛, I鈥檓 going to presume. So why use your air conditioner when it鈥檚 literally cold out?

I know, I know: Mind my own condenser unit.