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

For several hours a day you’re gone at work, or perhaps at school. Yet your HVAC system continues to run, with nobody home. This needs a ton of energy and costs you money. You can dramatically reduce this cost by adjusting the thermostat up or down as you go to work and setting it back to your preferred temperature when you get home. But how much should the thermostat be adjusted? 

Here’s what the Department of Energy suggests about thermostat settings: 

You can save as much as 10% a year on HVAC costs by just turning your thermostat down 7°-10°F for eight hours a day compared to its typical setting. The percentage of savings from setback is larger for buildings in milder climates than for those in more severe climates. 

The smaller the contrast between the outdoor and indoor temperatures, the lower your total cooling bill can be. You can effectively save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to something like 68°F while you’re awake and adjusting it down while you’re sleeping or away from home. In the summer, you can use the same approach with central air conditioning by keeping your house warmer than normal when you are away and adjusting the thermostat to a setting as high as is comfortable for you when you’re home and want cooling and to ensure humidity control if necessary. 

You might have been advised that these kinds of adjustments won’t be worth the effort because your heating and cooling has to work even harder to go back to your favored temperature, using up your savings, but the energy department puts that notion to rest, namely for heating: “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 

Despite the benefits of changing your thermostat any time you head to work, it’s easy to miss 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 across your regular work hours. And with a smart thermostat, you can change the temperature (or the programming schedule) remotely. This is especially helpful if you’ve forgotten to adjust the setting before going on a long trip. 

Always Remember the Pets 

If you have a pet, consider their comfort too. Cats and dogs with dense fur won’t be comfy with high temperatures. And pets with less fur might not be pleased with cold temperatures. The same goes for tropical birds, fish and reptiles. Since temperature tolerances deviate widely by breed and species, look them up for your pets. 

More Perks of Setting Your Thermostat for When You’re Away 

  • Carbon emissions – The harder you use your HVAC system, the more carbon emissions you produce. Preserving energy minimizes air pollution and greenhouse gasses. 
  • HVAC Longevity – Overusing your HVAC system can cut its longevity and cause increased maintenance to be needed. It also means the air filter will clog up sooner, making your indoor air quality worse. 

If you have any ideas about your air conditioner settings, or if you need HVAC repair or maintenance, get in touch with the pros at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, a big company with homegrown 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 our name and central to our business. We work hard to help each technician or installer develop into a skilled professional. We work with the best and provide training, opportunities and assistance, so our teams can learn, grow and be ready for any challenge thrown their way. 

Our united business strength and people distinguish us from the competition. With over 4,000 team members on board, we can deliver and innovate more successfully than the competition. Our can-do, neighborly attitude powers 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 could 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 easy knowing we’re moving, innovating, delivering, and in it for the long run, through the busy times and beyond. 

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

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