You have no doubt heard the debate between adjusting your thermostat when you are gone verses leaving the temperature set to reduce the workload on your HVAC system. The theory is that when the thermostat is lowered, the furnace has to work harder than usual to raise the temperature in the room to a comfortable level, yielding little to no energy savings.
The truth is that maintaining a home’s usual temperature consumes more energy than bringing it back up after lowering the thermostat. Naturally, heat flows toward chilly areas. Therefore, even if your home is well-insulated, heat will always be transferring from the inside to the outside if it is turned up. Once the temperature inside a house falls below typical levels, energy loss occurs more slowly. The longer the house remains cold, the more energy it saves compared to the energy lost that comes when the heater is running at its normal temperature
Lowering your thermostat’s setting by 7° to 10°F for eight hours a day, can save you up to 10% annually on heating and cooling. The general rule of thumb is to adjust the temperature when you go to bed at night and when you will be gone for more than an hour or two. This especially applies when you leave your home for vacation or extended periods of time.
Saving money is always a good idea but remembering to adjust the temperature every day can be a nuisance. Programable thermostats can ease the trouble of remembering to change the temperature and make saving money easier. Some older thermostat models may have been programmable but were not very user friendly. Many models today have simple touchscreens that walk you through the programming process. Even more convenient are thermostats that connect to your homes WIFI and allow you to change your settings on your phone while away from home. There are also “smart” or “learning” thermostats that, after a few days of usage, genuinely learn your patterns and adjust the temperature on their own in according to your work and sleep schedule.
Programing your thermostat isn’t the only way you can save money. Power companies often have incentive programs where you can qualify for a rebate when you upgrade your thermostat. Check with your power company for details. If saving money and upgrading your thermostat sounds interesting to you, call the experts at Quigley. We can answer your questions, help you choose a new model and complete the installation.
