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

For many hours a day you’re away at work, or perhaps at school. Yet your comfort system keeps going and going, despite the house being empty. This uses a lot of energy and wastes money. You can significantly reduce this cost by adjusting the thermostat up or down when you go to work and resetting it back to your favored temperature when you get home. But how much should you adjust the temperature? 

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

You can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling bills 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 less expensive your overall cooling bill can be. You can effectively save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to around 68°F while you’re awake and turning it lower while you’re asleep or away from home. In the summer, you can follow the same strategy with central air conditioning by keeping your house warmer than normal when you are away and setting the thermostat to a setting as high as you’re comfortable with when you’re home and want cooling and to provide humidity control if needed. 

You might have been told that doing these adjustments aren’t worth the effort because your HVAC has to work even harder to get back to your preferred temperature, undoing your savings, but the energy department puts that notion to rest, especially 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 

Despite the benefits of adjusting your thermostat every time you head to work, it’s easy to miss 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 through your regular work hours. And with a smart thermostat, you can change the temperature (or the programming schedule) remotely. This is especially helpful if you’ve forgotten to change the setting before leaving for a trip. 

Remember the Pets 

If you have pets at home, consider their comfort too. Cats and dogs with heavy fur won’t be as happy 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. 

More Perks of Adjusting Your Thermostat for When You’re Away 

• Carbon emissions – The harder you run your heating and air conditioning, the more carbon emissions you generate. Preserving energy reduces air pollution and greenhouse gasses. 
• HVAC Longevity – Overusing your HVAC unit can reduce its life expectancy and cause more maintenance to be necessary. It also means the air filter can clog up faster, making your air less clean. 

If you have any ideas about your air conditioner settings, or if you need HVAC repair or maintenance, call the professionals at Calverley Service Experts, a big company with local 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. 

Experts — it’s in our name and central to our service. We work hard to help each team member become a skilled craftsman. We work with the best and provide education, opportunities and support, so our staff can learn, develop and be ready for any challenge they’re faced with. 

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Our blend of company size and individual expertise means we can do more with the next great 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 busiest times and beyond. 

We are Calverley Service Experts! Offering strength, knowledge and support across every season.