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

For several hours a day you’re off at work, or perhaps at school. Yet your comfort system keeps going and going, despite the house being empty. This uses up a lot of energy and costs you money. You can dramatically reduce this cost by adjusting the thermostat up or down as you leave for work and adjusting it back to your desired 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 settings: 

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

The smaller the variation between the both temperatures, the lower your total cooling bill should be. You can easily save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to something like 68°F while you’re awake and setting it lower while you’re sleeping or away from home. In the summer, you can use the same strategy with central air conditioning by leaving your house warmer than normal when you are at work and setting the thermostat to a setting as high as you can manage comfortably when you are at home and want cooling and to provide humidity control if needed. 

You could have been told that doing these adjustments aren’t worth it because your HVAC has to work extra hard to get back to your favored temperature, undoing your savings, but the energy department puts that notion to rest, especially for a furnace: “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 

Even with the benefits of adjusting your thermostat every time you go to work, it’s very easy to overlook 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 a different temperature through 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 fix 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 comfortable with high temperatures. And pets with short fur won’t always be happy with cold temperatures. The same goes for tropical birds, fish and reptiles. Since temperature tolerances vary widely by breed and species, look them up for your pets. 

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

• Carbon emissions – The harder you run your heating and air conditioning, the more carbon emissions you generate. Conserving energy reduces air pollution and greenhouse gasses. 
• HVAC Longevity – Overusing your HVAC unit can cut its life expectancy and cause more maintenance to be required. It also means the air filter may clog up faster, making your air less clean. 

If you have any questions about your air conditioner settings, or if you need HVAC repair or maintenance, call the professionals at Atmostemp Service Experts, a big company with homegrown heart. We’re passionate about making the world a cozy 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 member of our staff become a skilled craftsman. We employ the best and supply education, opportunities and support, so our teams can learn, grow and be prepared for every challenge thrown their way. 

Our combined business strength and people make us special. With over 4,000 team members on board, we can deliver and innovate better than the competition. Our can-do, family attitude powers our cooperation and helps us get the job done on time, and right — the first time. 

Our fusion of company size and individual expertise means we can do more with the next great idea … which may come from anywhere and anyone. We are reinventing the industry by harnessing each team member’s most popular 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 Atmostemp Service Experts! Delivering strength, knowledge and support across every season.