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

For many hours a day you’re off at work, or perhaps at school. Yet your comfort system keeps going and going, with nobody home. This uses up a lot of energy and costs you money. You can significantly reduce this cost by setting the thermostat up or down when you go to work and resetting it back to your favored temperature when you come home. But how much should you adjust it? 

Here’s what the Department of Energy has to say about thermostat changes: 

You can save as much as 10% a year on HVAC costs by simply turning 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 milder climates than for those in more severe climates. 

The smaller the contrast between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be. You can effectively save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to around 68°F while you’re awake and setting it lower while you’re asleep or away from home. In the summer, you can use the same strategy with central air conditioning by having your house warmer than normal when you are away and tweaking 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 could have been told that doing these adjustments aren’t worth it because your heating and cooling has to work extra hard to get back to your favored temperature, undoing your savings, but the energy department puts that notion to rest, particularly for heating: “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 

Even with the benefits of setting your thermostat every time you go to work, it’s easy to overlook in the rush of getting ready and on your way. This is one benefit of programmable and smart thermostats. You can set your thermostat to automatically move to a different temperature during your regular work hours. And with a smart thermostat, you can increase or decrease the temperature (or the programming schedule) remotely. This is particularly helpful if you’ve forgotten to adjust the setting before going on a long trip. 

Remember the Pets 

If you have pets at home, consider 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 goes for tropical birds, fish and reptiles. Since temperature tolerances vary widely by breed and species, look them up for your pets. 

Other Advantages of Adjusting Your Thermostat for When You’re Away 

• Carbon emissions – The harder you operate your heating and air conditioning, the more carbon emissions you generate. Saving energy minimizes air pollution and greenhouse gasses. 
• HVAC Longevity – Overusing your HVAC unit can reduce its life span and cause more maintenance to be necessary. It also means the air filter can clog up faster, making your indoor air supply worse. 

If you have any questions about your air conditioner settings, or if you need HVAC repair or maintenance, call the professionals at A-Plus, a big company with homegrown heart. We’re passionate 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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Our fusion of company size and individual expertise means we can do more with the next great idea … which may come from anywhere and anyone. We are reinventing the industry by harnessing each team member’s best ideas. That means our teams and customers can relax knowing we’re moving, innovating, delivering, and in it for the long haul, through the busy times and beyond. 

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