Save Money With These Thermostat Programming Tips
Post holidays, when all the family has gotten back into routines of school, work and every other thing on your “normal” but busy schedule, your house is left empty for large portions of the average day. Your furnace doesn’t have to work as hard when you’re not home. With some easy-to-implement thermostat programming, you can optimize the workload of your furnace even in the coldest days of winter or the hottest days of summer.
The U.S. Department of Energy reports that homeowners can save an average of 10% off their energy bill by programming thermostats to reduce the temp by seven to ten degrees when no one is home. Use these thermostat programming tips to save money when your home is empty:
Adjust the factory settings on your thermostat. Be sure to adjust your thermostat settings to sync up with your lifestyle and the hours you keep. You’ll want to set your wake time, sleep time, leave time and return time. For winter months, it’s recommended to keep your temperature set at 68°F when you’re home and then lower that temp by 10 degrees when you’re out or sleeping.
Follow these timing rules of thumb. Shut down the furnace approximately 30 minutes before you and your family leave home each day, and set it to turn back on 30 minutes before you return. Also when you go to bed program your thermostat to reduce heat 60 minutes before you go to sleep and increase again 30 minutes before you wake up each morning.
Keep these thermostat programming considerations in mind. The location of your thermostat matters. Your programmable thermostat should be on an interior wall away from direct sunlight, drafts, doors and windows. It should be clear of furniture that can block air flow.
By programming your thermostat to heat up your home when you are actually home, versus when you’re not, you can save some serious cash on your monthly energy bills. Follow these tips to keep your home comfortable and avoid wasting money.
For over four decades, Stiles Heating, Cooling, & Plumbing has been a trusted leader for Athens and the surrounding area in need of quality HVAC service, installation or maintenance. Our entire team is determined to provide the best in customer care and our technicians are patient, knowledgeable and happy to teach you how to use your HVAC system to your advantage.
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