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

For many hours a day you’re off at work, or maybe at school. Yet your comfort system keeps going and going, without anybody home. This needs a ton of energy and wastes money. You can considerably scale back this cost by changing the thermostat up or down before you go to work and adjusting it back to your preferred temperature when you come home. But how much should you adjust the temperature? 

Here’s what the Department of Energy says about thermostat changes: 

You can save around 10% a year on HVAC costs by simply turning your thermostat down 7°-10°F for eight hours a day from its usual setting. The percentage of savings from setback is greater for buildings in milder climates than for those in more extreme climates. 

The lower the contrast between the both temperatures, the more affordable your overall cooling bill can be. You can easily save energy during the winter by lowering the thermostat to something like 68°F while you’re awake and turning it lower while you’re in bed or away from home. During the summer, you can use the same strategy with central air conditioning by leaving your house warmer than normal when you are at work and setting the thermostat to a setting as high as you’re comfortable with when you return and want cooling and to provide humidity control if necessary. 

You could have been told that doing these adjustments won’t be worth the time because your heating and cooling has to work extra hard to return to your favored temperature, using up your savings, but the energy department suggests this isn’t true, namely for heaters: “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 each time you leave for work, it’s easy to overlook in the rush of getting ready and on your way. This is one advantage of programmable and smart thermostats. You can direct your thermostat to automatically change to a higher or lower temperature through your average work hours. And with a smart thermostat, you can increase or decrease the temperature (or the programming schedule) from anywhere. This is very helpful if you’ve neglected to adjust the setting before going on a long trip. 

Remember the Pets 

If you own pets, give consideration to their comfort too. Cats and dogs with heavy fur won’t be comfortable with high temperatures. And pets with less dense fur might not be comfortable with cold temperatures. The same goes for tropical birds, fish and reptiles. Considering temperature preferences differ universally by breed and species, so it helps to verify the ideal temperature range for your pets. 

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

  • Carbon emissions – The harder you operate your heating and air conditioning, the more carbon emissions you generate. Preserving energy decreases air pollution and greenhouse gasses. 
  • HVAC Longevity – Overusing your heating and cooling can reduce its life span and cause increased maintenance to be needed. It also means the air filter can clog up faster, making your indoor air supply worse. 

If you have any concerns about your air conditioner options, or if you require HVAC repair or maintenance, contact the professionals at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, a big company with hometown heart. We’re enthusiastic about making the world a comfortable place to live. Whether we’re keeping things warm, cooling things down or making the water flow, we take great pride in keeping our customers and communities cozy and content. 

Experts — it’s in the name and core to our service. We work hard to help each team member learn to be a skilled professional. We hire the best and offer instruction, opportunities and assistance, so everyone can learn, improve and be ready for every challenge thrown their way. 

Our total business strength and people separate us from other service companies. With more than 4,000 team members working together, we can deliver and innovate more effectively than the rest of the industry. Our can-do, family attitude energizes our teamwork and helps us get the job done promptly, and right — the first time. 

Our combination of company size and individual expertise means we can offer more with the next amazing idea … which could come from anywhere and anyone. We are helping transform the industry by supporting each team member’s most popular ideas. That means our teams and customers can relax knowing we’re moving, innovating, delivering, and in it for the long run, through the busier times and beyond. 

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