For many hours a day you’re away at work, or perhaps at school. Yet your comfort system continues to run, with nobody home. This uses up a ton of energy and wastes money. You can dramatically scale back this cost by setting the thermostat up or down before you leave for work and resetting it back to your preferred 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 by simply setting your thermostat down 7°-10°F for eight hours a day rather than its normal setting. The percentage of savings from setback is larger for buildings in more temperate climates than for those in more extreme climates.
The lower the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the less expensive your total cooling bill will be. You can comfortably save energy through the winter by setting the thermostat to about 68°F while you're awake and turning it down while you're in bed or away from home. During the summer, you can practice the same plan with central air conditioning by leaving your house warmer than normal when you are away and tweaking the thermostat to a setting as high as you can manage comfortably when you return and want cooling and to provide humidity control if needed.
You may have been informed that doing these adjustments are not worth the time because your heating and cooling has to work even harder to go back to your desired temperature, reversing your savings, but the energy department suggests this isn't true, particularly 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 setting your thermostat every time you leave for work, it’s very easy to miss in the rush of getting ready and on your way. This is one perk of programmable and smart thermostats. You can instruct your thermostat to automatically shift to a higher or lower temperature through your standard work hours. And with a smart thermostat, you can change the temperature (or the programming schedule) remotely. This is very helpful if you’ve neglected to fix the setting before going on vacation.
Remember the Pets
If you have a pet, think about their comfort too. Cats and dogs with heavy fur won’t be comfy with high temperatures. And pets with less fur might not be happy with cold temperatures. The same goes for tropical birds, fish and reptiles. Considering temperature tolerances differ widely by breed and species, look them up for your pets.
More Advantages of Changing Your Thermostat for When You’re Away
- Carbon emissions - The more often you operate your heating and air conditioning, the more carbon emissions you produce. Conserving energy minimizes air pollution and greenhouse gasses.
- HVAC Longevity - Overworking your heating and cooling can cut its life span and cause increased maintenance to be needed. It also means the air filter will clog up sooner, making your indoor air quality worse.
If you have any concerns about your air conditioner features, or if you need HVAC repair or maintenance, call the pros at Winnipeg Supply Service Experts, a big company with local heart. We’re passionate about making the world a comfortable place to live. Whether we’re keeping things warm, cooling things down or making the water flow, we have a lot of pride in keeping our customers and communities cozy and content.
Experts — it’s in the name and core to our business. We work tirelessly to help each member of our staff learn to be a skilled craftsman. We employ the best and supply education, opportunities and support, so everyone can learn, improve and be prepared for any kind of challenge in front of them.
Our united business strength and people distinguish us from the competition. With over 4,000 team members on board, we can deliver and innovate better than other companies. Our positive, neighborly attitude powers our collaboration and helps us get the job done promptly, and right — the first time.
Our fusion of company size and personal expertise means we can offer more with the next great idea … which could 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 rest easy knowing we’re moving, innovating, delivering, and in it for the long haul, through the busier times and beyond.
We are Winnipeg Supply Service Experts! Giving strength, knowledge and support through every season.