Did you know that over 50 percent of the energy used in the average U.S. household is for heating and cooling the home? Heaters and air conditioners require a lot of energy to operate, so unsurprisingly, energy costs go up quite a bit during winter and summer. By using your thermostat wisely, you can help reduce your home’s heating and cooling costs during those high-demand seasons.
Here’s how to set your thermostat for optimal energy savings.
What Temperature Should I Set My Heater During Winter?
If you want to easily save money on energy costs without sacrificing comfort, the Department of Energy (DOE) recommends setting your thermostat to 68 degrees Fahrenheit while you’re awake and lowering it when you’re asleep or away from home.
What Temperature Should I Set My Air Conditioner In Summer?
To reduce your energy costs during summer, the DOE recommends setting your thermostat to 78 degrees Fahrenheit while you’re at home and higher while you’re away.
Additional Tips for Energy Savings
If those temperatures aren’t quite in your comfort zone, keep in mind that those are recommendations. You can save money just by tweaking your thermostat habits. The DOE reports that setting your thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 hours daily from its usual setting will still save you up to 10% a year on your heating and cooling costs.
For additional savings, consider the following:
- When you’re home, use ceiling, floor, and table fans in occupied rooms. Fans use the “wind chill” effect to keep you cool during the summer. This will allow you to turn up your thermostat and rely less on your air conditioner.
- Use window coverings that provide some insulation. Window treatments like thermal curtains, Roman shades, and cellular shades help your home maintain a comfortable temperature year-round.
- Upgrade to a programmable thermostat. You can program these thermostats with a schedule so that your HVAC equipment will not run needlessly as often.
- Upgrade even further to a smart thermostat. Whereas programmable thermostats are restricted to a schedule, smart thermostats can be controlled remotely from your mobile phone. This can come in handy if you find that you’ll be home later or earlier than usual. Smartphones with geofencing can even detect when you’re close to home and get your system started so that your home is comfortable when you get there.
Are you interested in updating your home’s thermostat? Contact our HVAC experts at Monarch Home Services to learn more about how we can help you: (661) 452-8707!