The Magic Number: The Best Thermostat Settings for Winter Savings

There are stories of neighbors in the Northeast who engage in an annual Fall competition to see who can endure the longest without turning on the heat. Everyone grabs layers and enjoys long, hot showers. An electric blanket is considered cheating. What started out as a plan to save on energy costs (while fuel oil costs were high) turned into a full-scale competition race to the finish.

It is not necessary to take such extreme measures to save on your energy bill. But there are some steps that you can take to save energy, and therefore, save money. It starts with the thermostat setting.

The Department of Energy says the thermostat setting that saves the most money during the wintertime is between 67 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. They did not say this was the most comfortable setting, just that it potentially saves the most money during the heating season. Furthermore, they recommend dropping the thermostat another 7 to 10 degrees overnight, since everyone is sleeping. To keep this in balance with your reality, let’s look at some key principles that will help save money without freezing the family’s toes.

• Keep the difference between the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature as low as possible. That might seem counterintuitive, since when the temp drops outdoors, we tend to turn the temperature up, not down. However, we are looking at harnessing principles that can save money.
• It makes sense to drop the temperature overnight for most people, since sleeping in a cool room is more comfortable than a hot space. The National Sleep Foundation https://www.thensf.org/sleep-tips/ recommends lowering the temperature to between 60 and 67 degrees for more comfortable sleep. Dropping the temperature by 10 degrees for eight hours can reduce heating costs by 10%.
• Dropping the temperature during days when everyone is away will also save money. If family members are at work or school for eight hours or so, save some money by lowering the temperature setting. The same thing applies to wintertime vacations or trips: turn the setting down 10 degrees and save some money.
• These temperature changes can be easily accomplished with programmable or Smart thermostats. Both permit scheduling changes in temperature settings, and, as a bonus, you can schedule a buffer warming period of 30 minutes before the family resumes normal activities—at 6:30 am for a 7 am rising. Programmable thermostats may be provided by utility companies free or at a reduced cost, since they save energy. They are very convenient.
• Take advantage of a south-facing orientation by opening blinds during the day to capture solar gain. It is not unusual for a home to gain 10 degrees without a warming cycle if the house is faced to this advantage. Try it and see what results you achieve.
• It is obvious that humidity makes summer heat feel hotter. The same is true during the winter as well. Wintertime outdoor relative humidity is lower. Central heat lowers the indoor relative humidity as well. Adding a humidifier can make a home feel more comfortable. It also helps with dry skin and irritated eyes, and nasal passages as well.
• Use ceiling fans during the winter as well. A small switch at the base of the fan adjusts the direction of the fan’s rotation. Set the switch clockwise at the lowest speed possible. This pushes the warm air near the ceiling down into the room, making it a little more comfortable. Mixing the air makes the furnace function more efficiently as well.
• Make sure to seal as many drafts as possible. Every puff of air that enters the home from the cold outside pushes the same amount of air outside, since the home is not a balloon that swells or shrinks.

Ultimately, the family will decide the setting by the comfort of the home. Try some of these tips to see how they affect both comfort and energy savings.

Beyond the Thermostat: How Doctor Cool Can Help You Stay Cozy and Save Money

Maximizing your energy savings is easier when your system is running at peak efficiency. To ensure your unit is ready to handle these temperature adjustments without a hitch, schedule a professional AC maintenance appointment with our expert team today.

Call Doctor Cool & Professor Heat at 281-516-5966 today to schedule a consultation and receive a professional furnace maintenance and thermostat evaluation quote.