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

For many hours a day you’re away at work, or perhaps at school. Yet your heating or air conditioning keeps going and going, without anybody home. This uses a lot of energy and wastes money. You can significantly reduce this cost by adjusting the thermostat up or down before you leave for work and adjusting 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 has to say about thermostat changes: 

You can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by simply adjusting your thermostat down 7°-10°F for eight hours a day from its normal setting. The percentage of savings from setback is greater for buildings in milder climates than for those in more severe climates. 

The smaller the contrast between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the more affordable your complete cooling bill will be. You can effectively save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to around 68°F while you’re awake and turning it lower while you’re asleep or away from home. In the summer, you can practice the same strategy 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 are at home and want cooling and to ensure humidity control if needed. 

You might have been told that doing these adjustments aren’t worth the effort because your heating and cooling has to work extra hard to get back to your preferred temperature, undoing 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 

Regardless of the benefits of adjusting your thermostat every time you go to work, it’s easy to forget in the rush of getting ready and on your way. This is one benefit of programmable and smart thermostats. You can set your thermostat to automatically move to another temperature during 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 change the setting before going on a long trip. 

Remember the Pets 

If you have pets at home, consider their comfort too. Cats and dogs with heavy fur won’t be as happy with high temperatures. And pets with short fur may not be happy with cold temperatures. The same is true of tropical birds, fish and reptiles. Since temperature tolerances vary widely by breed and species, look them up for your pets. 

More Advantages of Adjusting Your Thermostat for When You’re Away 

• Carbon emissions – The harder you use your heating and air conditioning, the more carbon emissions you generate. Conserving energy decreases air pollution and greenhouse gasses. 
• HVAC Longevity – Overusing your HVAC unit can cut its life expectancy and cause more maintenance to be necessary. It also means the air filter will clog up faster, making your indoor air supply worse. 

If you have any questions about your air conditioner settings, or if you need HVAC repair or maintenance, call the pros at Wesley Wood Service Experts, a big company with local heart. We’re passionate about making the world a comfortable place to live. Whether we’re warming, cooling or making the water run, we take great pride in keeping our customers and communities comfortable and satisfied. 

Experts — it’s in our name and core to our service. We work hard to help each team member become a skilled craftsman. We hire the best and supply education, opportunities and support, so our teams can learn, grow and be ready for any challenge they’re faced with. 

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Our blend of company size and individual expertise means we can offer more with the next great idea … which can come from anywhere and anyone. We are reinventing the industry by supporting each team member’s best ideas. That means our teams and customers can relax knowing we’re moving, innovating, delivering, and in it for the long haul, through the busy times and beyond. 

We are Wesley Wood Service Experts! Delivering strength, knowledge and support over every season.