For plenty of hours a day you’re away at work, or possibly at school. Yet your comfort system keeps going and going, despite the house being empty. This uses a ton of energy and costs you money. You can considerably reduce this cost by setting the thermostat up or down before you go to work and resetting it back to your favored temperature when you get 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 up to 10% a year on heating and cooling bills by just adjusting your thermostat down 7°-10°F for eight hours a day rather than its typical setting. The percentage of savings from setback is greater for buildings in cooler climates than for those in more severe climates.
The smaller the contrast between the outdoor and indoor temperatures, the more affordable your total cooling bill will be. You can easily save energy through the winter by setting the thermostat to around 68°F while you're awake and setting it down while you're sleeping or away from home. During the summer, you can practice the same approach with central air conditioning by having your house warmer than normal when you are gone and setting the thermostat to a setting as high as is comfortable for you when you are at home and want cooling and to ensure humidity control if needed.
You might have been informed that doing these adjustments won't be worth it because your HVAC has to work even harder to go back to your favored temperature, undoing your savings, but the energy department dismisses that claim, especially for a furnace: “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 each time you head to work, it’s very easy to overlook in the rush of getting ready and on your way. This is one perk of programmable and smart thermostats. You can direct your thermostat to automatically move to a higher or lower temperature during your typical work hours. And with a smart thermostat, you can increase or decrease the temperature (or the programming schedule) remotely. This is especially helpful if you’ve neglected to change the setting before going on a long trip.
Don't Forget the Pets
If you have pets at home, consider their comfort as well. Cats and dogs with thick fur won’t be as happy with high temperatures. And pets with less fur might not be pleased with cold temperatures. The same goes for tropical birds, fish and reptiles. Because temperature tolerances differ widely by breed and species, look them up for your pets.
Other Benefits of Changing Your Thermostat for When You’re Away
- Carbon emissions - The more you run your HVAC system, the more carbon emissions you produce. Conserving energy minimizes air pollution and greenhouse gasses.
- HVAC Longevity - Demanding too much from your heating and cooling can reduce its longevity and cause additional maintenance to be required. It also means the air filter can clog up more quickly, making your indoor air supply worse.
If you have any concerns about your air conditioner settings, or if you require HVAC repair or maintenance, contact the professionals at Eveready Service Experts , a big company with hometown heart. We’re serious 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.
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