What are the ideal settings for my thermostat?
Managing the temperature of your Ma
ryland home with a programmable thermostat is of the easiest ways we know to cut your energy costs; if you use it correctly, a programmable thermostat could save you as much as ten percent on your monthly heating bill.
But what are the ideal settings for your programmable thermostat? Let’s take a look at what the experts have to say.
Balancing comfort and savings
The U.S Department of Energy suggests the following settings for an optimum mix of efficiency and comfort:
In heating season:
- When people are at home and awake, set the thermostat for 68°F.
- Lower temperatures by 10° for the hours when people are asleep or out of the house.
In cooling season:
- When people are at home and awake, set the temperature for 78°F.
- Program the air conditioning to shut off during the hours you are out of the house.
Year round:
- Program your heat or air conditioning to shut off 20 to 30 minutes before you leave home each day; return them to normal settings 20 to 30 minutes before you come home.*
- Program reductions in heating or cooling to begin 60 minutes before you go to sleep; return them to normal comfort levels 30 minutes before you awaken.
Of course you can’t take advantage of these money-saving settings without a programmable thermostat! If you have not installed one, just do it – properly used, it will typically pay for itself in the first year you own it. Contact Carroll Home Services today to learn more about programmable thermostats.
Want to save even more on energy bills? Contact Carroll today to get a FREE, no obligation estimate on high efficiency home heating equipment installation options for your Baltimore-area home.
* If you have wi-fi / wireless thermostat, you can control your home’s temperature from your smart phone.
