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

For many hours a day you’re away at work, or maybe at school. Yet your comfort system keeps going and going, with nobody home. This uses a lot of energy and costs you money. You can significantly lower this cost by adjusting the thermostat up or down when you leave for work and setting it back to your favored temperature when you come home. But how much should the thermostat be adjusted? 

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

You can save up to 10% a year on heating and cooling by simply setting your thermostat down 7°-10°F for eight hours a day from its usual setting. The percentage of savings from setback is better for buildings in milder climates than for those in more dynamic climates. 

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

You may have been informed that making these adjustments are not worth the time because your HVAC has to work even harder to get back to your preferred temperature, reversing 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 setting your thermostat any time you leave for work, it’s easy to overlook in the rush of getting ready and on your way. This is one benefit of programmable and smart thermostats. You can direct your thermostat to automatically change to a higher or lower temperature across your typical work hours. And with a smart thermostat, you can adjust the temperature (or the programming schedule) from your smartphone or similar device. This is very helpful if you’ve forgotten to fix the setting before leaving for a trip. 

Always Remember the Pets 

If you have pets at home, consider their comfort too. Cats and dogs with thick fur won’t be as happy with high temperatures. And pets with less fur might not be comfortable with cold temperatures. The same applies to tropical birds, fish and reptiles. Since temperature preferences deviate widely by breed and species, so it helps to verify the ideal temperature range for your pets. 

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

  • Carbon emissions – The harder you run your heating and cooling, the more carbon emissions you generate. Preserving energy minimizes air pollution and greenhouse gasses. 
  • HVAC Longevity – Overusing your heating and cooling can diminish its longevity and cause additional maintenance to be required. It also means the air filter may clog up sooner, making your indoor air quality worse. 

If you have any ideas about your air conditioner options, or if you are looking for HVAC repair or maintenance, contact the specialists at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, a big company with hometown heart. We’re passionate about making the world a cozy place to live. Whether we’re keeping things warm, cooling things down or making the water run, we have a lot of pride in keeping our customers and communities cozy and contented. 

Experts — it’s in the name and core to our business. We work tirelessly to help each member of our staff become a skilled professional. We work with the best and offer training, opportunities and reinforcement, so our staff can learn, improve and be prepared for any challenge thrown their way. 

Our united business strength and people make us special. With more than 4,000 team members collaborating on making you comfortable, we can deliver and innovate more effectively than other companies. Our positive, family-friendly attitude energizes our teamwork and helps us get the job done in a timely manner, and right — the first time. 

Our blend of company size and personal expertise means we can do more with the next big idea … which can come from anywhere and anyone. We are reinvigorating the industry by harnessing each team member’s greatest ideas. That means our teams and customers can rest assured we’re moving, innovating, delivering, and in it for the long term, through the busy times and beyond. 

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

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