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

For several hours a day you’re gone at work, or perhaps at school. Yet your comfort system keeps going and going, despite the house being empty. This uses up a lot of energy and costs you money. You can significantly scale back this cost by changing 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 it? 

Here’s what the Department of Energy suggests about thermostat settings: 

You can save up to 10% a year on heating and cooling by just adjusting 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 more temperate climates than for those in more severe climates. 

The lower the difference between the outdoor and indoor temperatures, the more affordable your complete cooling bill should be. You can easily save energy through the winter by setting the thermostat to something like 68°F while you’re awake and adjusting it down while you’re in bed or away from home. For summer, you can follow the same plan with central air conditioning by having your house warmer than normal when you are at work and tweaking the thermostat to a setting as high as you can manage comfortably when you are at home and want cooling and to provide humidity control if required. 

You might have been informed that these kinds of adjustments aren’t worth the time because your heating and cooling has to work extra hard to go back to your desired temperature, undoing 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 setting your thermostat each time you head to 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 adjust your thermostat to automatically move to a higher or lower temperature across your regular work hours. And with a smart thermostat, you can adjust the temperature (or the programming schedule) from anywhere. This is especially helpful if you’ve forgotten to change the setting before going on vacation. 

Don’t Forget the Pets 

If you own pets, think about their comfort too. Cats and dogs with thick fur won’t be comfy with high temperatures. And pets with short fur may not be happy with cold temperatures. The same is true of tropical birds, fish and reptiles. Considering temperature preferences vary universally 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 more often you use your heating and cooling, the more carbon emissions you produce. Preserving energy minimizes air pollution and greenhouse gasses. 
  • HVAC Longevity – Overworking your HVAC unit can cut its life span and cause additional maintenance to be needed. It also means the air filter may clog up faster, making your indoor air quality worse. 

If you have any concerns about your air conditioner features, or if you need HVAC repair or maintenance, contact the professionals at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, a big company with hometown heart. We’re enthusiastic about making the world a cozy place to live. Whether we’re warming, cooling 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 vital to our business. We strive to help each member of our staff develop into a skilled professional. We work with the best and supply training, opportunities and support, so our teams can learn, improve and be prepared for every challenge thrown their way. 

Our combined business strength and people separate us from other service companies. With over 4,000 team members working together, we can deliver and innovate more effectively than the rest of the industry. Our positive, family attitude fuels our teamwork and helps us get the job done promptly, and right — the first time. 

Our blend of company size and personal expertise means we can do more with the next amazing idea … which can come from anywhere and anyone. We are reinventing the industry by supporting each team member’s best ideas. That means our teams and customers can rest assured we’re moving, innovating, delivering, and in it for the long haul, through the busy times and beyond. 

We are Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing! Giving strength, knowledge and support through every season. 

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