FOR most states, February can be one of the coldest months of the year.
As we wait out the rest of the winter, why not make this small adjustment to your thermostat to cut down on your energy bills.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can save significantly on your household bills by simply resetting your thermostat when you’re asleep or away from home.
And you won’t even notice the difference or “sacrifice comfort” with this easy step.
Installing an automatic setback or programmable thermostat allows you to adjust the times you turn on your heating according to a pre-set schedule.
These thermostats can store and repeat multiple daily settings that you can manually override without affecting the rest of the daily or weekly program, according to experts.
“You can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by simply turning your thermostat back seven to 10 degrees Fahrenheit from its normal setting,” they explained.
The experts recommended leaving your thermostat on this lower setting for at least eight hours each day to see this difference.
Savings on this setback is greater for buildings in milder climates than for those in more severe climates, the energy department clarified.
“The smaller the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be,” they explained.
“You can easily save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to around 68 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit while you’re awake and setting it lower while you’re asleep or away from home.”
And the same strategy can be implemented with central air conditioning during the summer months.
“Although thermostats can be adjusted manually, programmable thermostats will avoid any discomfort by returning temperatures to normal before you wake or return home,” the energy pros said.
They also debunked a “common misconception associated with thermostats.”
According to the experts, people think 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,” they explained.
“During winter, the lower the interior temperature, the slower the heat loss.
Thermostat Ranges to Save Money
Winter At Home: 68 degrees Away/Asleep: 60 to 65 degrees Variable depending but always seven to 10 lower than normal setting Summer At Home: 78 degrees Away: 85 degrees Asleep: 82 degrees Variable depending but always seven to 10 degrees higher than settingCredit: US Department of Energy
“So the longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more energy you save, because your house has lost less energy than it would have at the higher temperature.”
Again, the same concept applies to cooling your home during the summer months.
“When programming your thermostat, consider when you normally go to sleep and wake up,” experts advised.
“If there is a time during the day when the house is unoccupied for four hours or more, it makes sense to adjust the temperature during those periods.”
The location of your thermostat can also affect its performance and efficiency.
“It should be located where natural room air currents–warm air rising, cool air sinking–occur,” the experts recommended.
GettyThe Department of Energy recommended adjusting your temperature settings while your are sleeping or out of the home (stock image)[/caption] Read More Details
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