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

For several hours a day you’re gone at work, or possibly at school. Yet your heating or air conditioning keeps going and going, with nobody home. This uses up a good deal of energy and costs you money. You can dramatically reduce this cost by changing the thermostat up or down as you go to work and setting it back to your favored temperature when you return home. But how much should the thermostat be adjusted? 

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

You can save around 10% a year on HVAC costs by just adjusting your thermostat down 7°-10°F for eight hours a day from its typical setting. The percentage of savings from setback is better for buildings in cooler climates than for those in more severe climates. 

The smaller the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the more affordable your total cooling bill should be. You can comfortably save energy through the winter by setting the thermostat to something like 68°F while you’re awake and setting it lower while you’re asleep or away from home. For summer, you can practice the same strategy with central air conditioning by having 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 secure humidity control if necessary. 

You could have been advised that making these adjustments aren’t worth the time because your comfort system has to work extra hard to go back to your desired temperature, reversing your savings, but the energy department suggests this isn’t true, particularly for a furnace: “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 

Even with the benefits of setting your thermostat any time you head to work, it’s easy to overlook in the rush of getting ready and on your way. This is one perk of programmable and smart thermostats. You can adjust your thermostat to automatically shift to a different temperature through your regular work hours. And with a smart thermostat, you can increase or decrease the temperature (or the programming schedule) from your smartphone or similar device. This is very helpful if you’ve neglected to adjust the setting before leaving for a trip. 

Always Remember the Pets 

If you own pets, give consideration to their comfort as well. Cats and dogs with dense fur won’t be as happy with high temperatures. And pets with less dense fur won’t always be pleased with cold temperatures. The same goes for tropical birds, fish and reptiles. Considering temperature preferences vary universally by breed and species, so review them for your pets. 

Other Perks of Changing Your Thermostat for When You’re Away 

  • Carbon emissions – The more often you use your heating and air conditioning, the more carbon emissions you produce. Preserving energy decreases air pollution and greenhouse gasses. 
  • HVAC Longevity – Demanding too much from your HVAC system can reduce its life expectancy and cause additional maintenance to be necessary. It also means the air filter may clog up more quickly, making your air less clean. 

If you have any ideas about your air conditioner features, or if you require HVAC repair or maintenance, get in touch with the professionals at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, a big company with local heart. We’re passionate about making the world a comfortable place to live. Whether we’re warming, cooling or making the water run, we have a lot of pride in keeping our customers and communities cozy and contented. 

Experts — it’s in the name and central to our work. We work tirelessly to help each team member become a skilled craftsman. We employ the best and supply instruction, opportunities and reinforcement, so everyone can learn, improve and be ready for every challenge they’re faced with. 

Our total business strength and people distinguish us from the competition. With over 4,000 team members working together, we can deliver and innovate better than the competition. Our can-do, neighborly attitude fuels our cooperation and helps us get the job done promptly, and right — the first time. 

Our blend of company size and individual expertise means we can accomplish more with the next great idea … which can come from anywhere and anyone. We are reinventing the industry by supporting each team member’s most popular ideas. That means our teams and customers can rest assured we’re moving, innovating, delivering, and in it for the long term, through the busier times and beyond. 

We are Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing! Delivering strength, knowledge and support through every season. 

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