December 09, 2016
According to Energy.gov, more than half of your utility bill goes toward heating and cooling your home. And that’s a pretty hefty amount when you look back on a year’s worth of utility bills.
But what if we told you that you could save up to $180 this coming year just by managing your thermostat better?
We’ll show you how.
The secret to saving $180 every year on heating and cooling is to set back your thermostat 7-10 degrees for at least 8 hours a day.
But why does that alone translate to big savings?
Because for every 1 degree Fahrenheit you change your thermostat, you save 1-3% on your energy bill. You see, the closer your indoor temperature is to the outdoor temperature, the less work you’re asking of your HVAC system. And the less work required, the less energy consumed.
For example, let’s pretend this is your normal weekday schedule:
You wake up at 7am, wake the kids up, get them (and yourself) ready for school/work and leave the house at 8:30am. Your house is empty until roughly 6pm. After homework, dinner and relaxing, everyone is in bed and asleep by 11pm.
Given that schedule, here’s how you could set your thermostat every day:
Step 1: Turn the thermostat back 10 degrees at 8:30am (before you leave the house). In the summer that could mean changing your thermostat from 76 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit. In the winter, maybe that means changing the thermostat from 78 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2: Turn the thermostat back to its normal setting at 6pm. That gives you at least 10 hours of energy-efficient temperatures.
Step 3: If you want extra savings, you can turn the thermostat back 7 degrees at 11pm while your family is sleeping.
Step 4: Remember to turn back your thermostat 7-10 degrees Fahrenheit when you go on vacation.
But beware, you could cancel out those savings if you blast your heat or air conditioning when you get home in an attempt to cool or heat your home faster. That won’t heat/cool your home faster. Instead, it just causes your air conditioner or furnace to consume a lot more electricity than is necessary.
Worried you won’t remember to set back your thermostat? Don’t worry, there’s a way to do this automatically…
Programmable thermostats automatically adjust your home’s temperature according to pre-set schedules you create.
That means you can get the $180 savings every year without ever having to touch your thermostat! And depending on the model you get, you can set up to 7 different schedules such as a weekday schedule, weekend schedule, and vacation schedule.
Another benefit of using a programmable thermostat is increased comfort. For example, let’s go back to the hypothetical schedule used above. You can set your programmable thermostat to automatically turn back your home’s temperature at 5:30pm, 30 minutes before you get home. That way, you never have to walk into a home that’s too hot or too cold.
Related: How to Program Your Programmable Thermostat for More Savings
Interested in saving $180 this year with a programmable thermostat?
Just contact us. We’ll give you professional advice on the make and model that best fits your needs. And we can install your thermostat safely and correctly.
Posted in: Buyer's Guide