Four Thermostat Do’s and Don’ts to Save Money

Has anyone else been shocked by their recent heating bills? Despite some brief respites, it has been a very cold winter, and our wallets are paying the price. If you are looking for a place to save money, look at your home’s thermostat. Are you following these dos and don’ts?

DON’T set it to extreme temperatures to heat your home faster

I’m guilty of this after walking in the house on a frigid day. It’s so tempting to walk over to the thermostat and crank it up to 80 degrees–that seems like your house will warm up faster, right? Nope. Your furnace will not work any faster just because you asked it to heat the home to a higher degree. This wastes money because your furnace will end up overheating your home.

D.O. adjust the temperature at night and while you are gone during the day

Adjusting the temperature based on your daily schedule can be done manually or with a programmable thermostat. If you do this manually, ensure you are consistent with it. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, “You can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by simply turning your thermostat back 7°-10°F for 8 hours a day from its normal setting.” A good guideline is to change the thermostat’s temperature for 8-hour chunks of time or more. Think: when you leave for work for the day or when you go to bed at night.

DON’T be a control freak with your thermostat

Adjusting your thermostat throughout the day is a good thing. Adjusting your thermostat for an hour is not. “…constantly changing the set temperature on your thermostat causes your air conditioner and furnace to stop and start, which causes them to run inefficiently.” (MSP Plumbing Heating Air). Constantly having your furnace turn and off will cost you more money, and it will probably annoy everyone else in the home.

D.O. consider a Smart Thermostat

Smart thermostats, such as Nest, learn your preferred heat settings and consider your family’s activities using wi-fi and sensors. This allows them to make energy-efficient adjustments that are especially fine-tuned for your family.

For more information about using your thermostat efficiently this winter, contact FLAME!