For several hours a day you’re away at work, or maybe at school. Yet your heating or air conditioning continues to run, with nobody home. This uses up a good deal of energy and costs you money. You can dramatically reduce this cost by adjusting the thermostat up or down when you head to work and setting it back to your desired temperature when you come home. But how much should the thermostat be adjusted?
Here’s what the Department of Energy says about thermostat changes:
You can save around 10% a year on heating and cooling by simply adjusting your thermostat down 7°-10°F for eight hours a day rather than its usual setting. The percentage of savings from setback is greater for buildings in cooler climates than for those in more extreme climates.
The smaller the contrast between the both temperatures, the more affordable your overall cooling bill should be. You can effectively save energy through the winter by lowering the thermostat to about 68°F while you're awake and turning it lower while you're in bed or away from home. For summer, you can follow the same approach with central air conditioning by having your house warmer than normal when you are at work and adjusting the thermostat to a setting as warm as is comfortable for you when you are at home and want cooling and to provide humidity control if required.
You may have been told that these kinds of adjustments won't be worth the effort because your heating and cooling has to work harder to get back to your favored temperature, reversing your savings, but the energy department dismisses that claim, namely for heating: “A common misconception associated with thermostats is that a furnace works harder than normal to warm the space back to a comfortable temperature after the thermostat has been set back, resulting in little or no savings. In fact, as soon as your house drops below its normal temperature, it will lose energy to the surrounding environment more slowly.”
Programmable and Smart Thermostats
Despite the benefits of setting your thermostat any time you leave for work, it’s very easy to overlook in the rush of getting ready and on your way. This is one benefit of programmable and smart thermostats. You can adjust your thermostat to automatically move to another temperature across your standard work hours. And with a smart thermostat, you can change the temperature (or the programming schedule) from anywhere. This is very helpful if you’ve forgotten to change the setting before leaving for a trip.
Don't Forget the Pets
If you have pets at home, give consideration to their comfort too. Cats and dogs with thick fur won’t be comfy with high temperatures. And pets with less dense fur may not be comfortable with cold temperatures. The same applies to tropical birds, fish and reptiles. Because temperature preferences differ widely by breed and species, so it helps to verify the ideal temperature range for your pets.
More Perks of Setting Your Thermostat for When You’re Away
- Carbon emissions - The more often you operate your HVAC system, the more carbon emissions you produce. Conserving energy decreases air pollution and greenhouse gasses.
- HVAC Longevity - Overusing your HVAC system can diminish its life expectancy and cause increased maintenance to be necessary. It also means the air filter may clog up sooner, making your air less clean.
If you have any questions about your air conditioner features, or if you are looking for HVAC repair or maintenance, contact the pros at Golden Seal Service Experts, a big company with local heart. We’re enthusiastic about making the world a comfy place to live. Whether we’re warming, cooling or making the water run, we have a lot of pride in keeping our customers and communities cozy and content.
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Our united business strength and people distinguish us from the competition. With over 4,000 team members collaborating on making you comfortable, we can deliver and innovate more effectively than the competition. Our can-do, family attitude powers our cooperation and helps us get the job done promptly, and right — the first time.
Our fusion of company size and personal expertise means we can do more with the next great idea … which could come from anywhere and anyone. We are reinvigorating the industry by harnessing each team member’s best ideas. That means our teams and customers can rest easy knowing we’re moving, innovating, delivering, and in it for the long haul, through the busy times and beyond.
We are Golden Seal Service Experts! Giving strength, knowledge and support over every season.