How Should I Set My Thermostat for When I’m At Work?

For plenty of hours a day you’re off at work, or perhaps at school. Yet your comfort system keeps going and going, with nobody home. This uses a lot of energy and wastes money. You can significantly reduce this cost by changing the thermostat up or down before you head to work and setting it back to your favored temperature when you return home. But how much should you adjust the temperature? 

Here’s what the Department of Energy has to say about thermostat settings: 

You can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by simply setting your thermostat down 7°-10°F for eight hours a day from its normal setting. The percentage of savings from setback is greater for buildings in milder climates than for those in more severe climates. 

The smaller the difference between the both temperatures, the lower your total cooling bill can be. You can comfortably save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to something like 68°F while you’re awake and setting it lower while you’re in bed or away from home. In the summer, you can follow the same strategy with central air conditioning by keeping your house warmer than normal when you are gone and adjusting the thermostat to a setting as high as you’re comfortable with when you return and want cooling and to ensure humidity control if needed. 

You might have been told that doing these adjustments aren’t worth it because your HVAC has to work even harder to get back to your preferred temperature, undoing your savings, but the energy department puts that notion to rest, particularly 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 

Regardless of the benefits of changing your thermostat every time you leave for work, it’s very easy to forget in the rush of getting ready and on your way. This is one benefit of programmable and smart thermostats. You can set your thermostat to automatically move to a different temperature through your regular work hours. And with a smart thermostat, you can change the temperature (or the programming schedule) from your smartphone or similar device. This is especially helpful if you’ve forgotten to fix the setting before going on a long trip. 

Remember the Pets 

If you have pets at home, consider their comfort too. Cats and dogs with thick fur won’t be as happy with high temperatures. And pets with short fur may not be happy with cold temperatures. The same goes for tropical birds, fish and reptiles. Since temperature tolerances vary widely by breed and species, look them up for your pets. 

Other Perks of Adjusting Your Thermostat for When You’re Away 

• Carbon emissions – The harder you run your heating and air conditioning, the more carbon emissions you generate. Conserving energy minimizes air pollution and greenhouse gasses. 
• HVAC Longevity – Overusing your HVAC unit can reduce its life span and cause more maintenance to be needed. It also means the air filter will clog up faster, making your indoor air supply worse. 

If you have any questions about your air conditioner settings, or if you need HVAC repair or maintenance, contact the professionals at Golden Seal Service Experts, a big company with homegrown heart. We’re passionate about making the world a cozy place to live. Whether we’re warming, cooling or making the water run, we take great pride in keeping our customers and communities comfortable and satisfied. 

Experts — it’s in our name and central to our service. We work hard to help each team member become a skilled craftsman. We hire the best and provide education, opportunities and support, so everyone can learn, grow and be equipped for any challenge in front of them. 

Our combined business strength and people make us special. With over 4,000 team members on board, we can deliver and innovate better than the rest of the industry. Our can-do, family attitude powers our cooperation and helps us get the job done on time, and right — the first time. 

Our blend of company size and individual expertise means we can offer more with the next great idea … which can come from anywhere and anyone. We are reinventing the industry by utilizing each team member’s most popular ideas. That means our teams and customers can relax 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 through every season.