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

For many hours a day you’re gone at work, or possibly at school. Yet your comfort system continues to run, despite the house being empty. This uses a ton of energy and feels like wasting money. You can dramatically scale back this cost by setting the thermostat up or down when you leave for work and setting it back to your preferred temperature when you come home. But how much should the thermostat be adjusted? 

Here’s what the Department of Energy says about thermostat adjustments: 

You can save up to 10% a year on heating and cooling bills by simply turning 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 milder climates than for those in more severe climates. 

The lower the variation between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the less expensive your total cooling bill will be. You can effectively save energy during the winter by adjusting the thermostat to about 68°F while you’re awake and adjusting it lower while you’re in bed or away from home. In the summer, you can practice the same plan with central air conditioning by having your house warmer than normal when you are gone and setting the thermostat to a setting as warm as you can manage comfortably when you are at home and want cooling and to provide humidity control if needed. 

You could have been told that doing these adjustments are not worth it because your heating and cooling has to work even harder to return to your desired temperature, reversing your savings, but the energy department suggests this isn’t true, namely for heaters: “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 changing your thermostat any time you leave for work, it’s easy to miss in the rush of getting ready and on your way. This is one advantage of programmable and smart thermostats. You can direct your thermostat to automatically shift to a higher or lower temperature across your regular 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 forgotten to change the setting before going on a long trip. 

Don’t Forget the Pets 

If you have pets at home, think about their comfort too. Cats and dogs with thick fur won’t be comfortable with high temperatures. And pets with less dense fur may not be pleased with cold temperatures. The same applies to tropical birds, fish and reptiles. Because temperature preferences deviate widely by breed and species, so it helps to verify the ideal temperature range for your pets. 

More Advantages of Changing Your Thermostat for When You’re Away 

• Carbon emissions – The harder you use your heating and air conditioning, the more carbon emissions you produce. Preserving energy decreases air pollution and greenhouse gasses. 
• HVAC Longevity – Overusing your HVAC unit can cut its life expectancy and cause increased maintenance to be necessary. It also means the air filter can clog up faster, making your indoor air supply worse. 

If you have any ideas about your air conditioner options, or if you are looking for HVAC repair or maintenance, contact the pros at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning, a big company with local heart. We’re serious about making the world a comfy place to live. Whether we’re keeping things warm, cooling things down or making the water run, we take great pride in keeping our customers and communities comfy and satisfied. 

Experts — it’s in the name and central to our service. We work tirelessly to help each member of our staff develop into a skilled craftsman. We work with the best and provide education, opportunities and assistance, so our staff can learn, grow and be ready for any kind of challenge thrown their way. 

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Our fusion of company size and personal expertise means we can offer more with the next great idea … which can come from anywhere and anyone. We are helping transform the industry by utilizing each team member’s greatest ideas. That means our teams and customers can rest assured we’re moving, innovating, delivering, and in it for the long run, through the busy times and beyond. 

We are Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning! Delivering strength, knowledge and support across every season.