Here is a quote from the Department of Energy (energy.gov) about saving electricity.
"In the summer, you can follow the same strategy with central air conditioning by keeping your house warmer than normal when you are away, and setting the thermostat to 78°F (26°C) only when you are at home and need cooling."
Your AC unit will basically use a constant amount of electricity when it is running. It cycles on and off to maintain the thermostat setting. So, if you increase the thermostat setting when you leave the house, the unit will not cycle on and off as much and you will reduce the run time. Yes, when you return and reduce the temperature setting, it will take a few minutes to bring the temperature back down, but the overall effect will be to reduce run time and electricity usage.
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