What temperature should you set your thermostat?
To many people, the thermostat on their wall is just a box that controls temperature…they walk over to it when it’s too cold in the house and turn up the heat, or do the reverse when it’s too warm in the summer with their central A/C.
But by limiting the use of your programmable thermostat this way, you’re not taking advantage of one of the easiest ways to save money on your home energy bills.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can save as much as 10 percent on your energy costs simply by using your programmable thermostat correctly. Correctly, in this case, means making subtle shifts in temperature automatically when no one is home or when the family is asleep, and maintaining reasonable temperatures in your home year-round.
If you don’t know how to use your programmable thermostat, it’s well worth the effort to learn. If you don’t have one in your Northern NJ home, we urge you to install one – today’s programmable and smart thermostats are easy to use and will pay for themselves in as little as a year.
Finding the best thermostat settings
Once you get a handle on using your programmable thermostat, the U.S Department of Energy suggests the following settings for an optimum balance of comfort and savings:
Summer months:
- When you’re home and awake, program air conditioning to 78°F.
- Program the AC to shut off during the hours you’re out of the house.
Winter months:
- When you’re home and awake, set the thermostat for 68°F.
- Lower temperatures by 10° for the hours you’re asleep or out of the house.
In general:
- Program heat or A/C to shut off 20-30 minutes before you leave home each day; return them to normal comfort levels 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.
* If you have wi-fi / wireless thermostat, you can control your home’s temperature from your smartphone.
Be smart and save on your monthly energy bills with a programmable thermostat, installed by the pros at Bolkema Fuel company! Contact us today to get a FREE estimate on a programmable thermostat for your Northern New Jersey home.