When you are asleep or away from home, just resetting your thermostat can help you save money on your utility bills for heating and cooling. Installing a programmable thermostat or an automated setback can do this for you without losing comfort.
It’s possible to alter when you turn on the heat or air conditioning at predetermined times with a programmable thermostat. In addition, many settings each day can be stored and repeated by programmable thermostats, which one can override through manual means without impacting the rest of the schedule.
Many people feel that lowering the temperature at night will save them money on their heating expenditures. They have the correct concept, but the key question is how much should you turn down the thermostat to save money on heating expenditures.
Does turning down the thermostat at night save money
The good news is that lowering your thermostat to save money does help you save money on your overall heating expense. But, what percentage of your income do you save? That is, it is dependent on how low you are willing to go. If eight hours seems excessive, consider the following: Your children may leave for school at 8:00 a.m., which means that they will have been gone for eight hours by the time they get home at 4:00 p.m.
There is a less painful option if you spend a lot of time at home and would be unhappy sitting for eight hours at 58 degrees instead of the typical 68. According to Bill Prindle, who works for the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, a nonprofit focusing on practical solutions to tackle climate change, “the rule of thumb is that you can save around three percent on your heating bill for every degree you put back your thermostat” full time. The idea is that if you’re willing to sit in a room that’s only slightly cooler than normal all of the time, rather than working in eight-hour shifts, you can save money steadily over the month.
So, how much money would you save by turning down the heat? Let’s imagine your monthly electricity bill is around $200. To be prudent, we’ll choose a 5% savings rate in this case. If you reduce your thermostat by eight degrees for eight hours, you will save $10 per month. That would amount to $120 over a year, which is nothing to sneeze at. Let’s take Prindle’s situation and lower the temperature by three or four degrees. That would bring your savings to 9% to 12%. If we divide it roughly and assume a ten percent savings, you may save $20 per month, totaling $240 per year.
It all boils down to how cold of a house you can take to save money by lowering your thermostat. If you’re willing to keep the house cooler all of the time, you’ll save twice as much as if you only cool the house while no one is home. In addition, if you’re prepared to put up with a few additional layers over the winter, you might be able to save up enough money to treat yourself to something good.
Reasons to turn your thermostat off at night
Saving money is usually a strong motivator for individuals to begin turning down the heat at night, but it is not the only one. It also prevents your heating and air conditioning systems from overheating the house while everyone is sleeping. So we’ve put together a list of tips to help you save money by turning down the heat at night.
1) Invest in a programmable thermostat
Buying a programmed thermostat will allow one to reap the benefits of decreasing your heat during the night—setting your heat to a low temperature before night can be tough to remember. A programmable thermostat solves this problem by allowing you to tell your furnace when to turn down the heat daily.
2) Lower the Temperature by 8 Degrees
When it comes to decreasing your heat for the night, most HVAC professionals think 8 degrees is the sweet spot. However, you may save a lot of money by lowering the thermostat to 8 degrees below the typical level. By lowering your thermostat by one degree, you can save up to 1% on your heating expenditures. Those savings build up quickly over a year.
3) Ensure Proper Insulation
While anybody can benefit from these savings, your system’s installation must be done correctly. Contractors should search for spots where heat is lost in your home and make sure they are well insulated. It will ensure that you do not lose too much heat at night when it is particularly chilly outdoors and can result in significant savings.
Frequently asked questions:
- How Does Turning Down the Heat at Night Save Money?
Structures lose heat quickly when exposed to the cold external air, especially if they are poorly insulated. As a result, furnaces and heat pumps must work hard to maintain stable and comfortable indoor temperatures. The theory is that by turning down the heat at night, you will lose less heat, and your furnace will not have to work as hard. Bringing your home up to temperature in the morning takes some energy, but not nearly as much as heating it all night.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a programmable thermostat makes setbacks a breeze. When you go to bed and leave home for work, this is the greatest time to do setbacks. Both are eight-hour periods during which heating isn’t as critical. However, if you don’t want to adjust your thermostat every day and night manually, programmable thermostats can help. They allow you to schedule setbacks and setups at specific periods of the day. There are various programmable thermostat models available, each with a varied amount of schedules you may program.
The 5-2 day approach allows you to build two timetables, one for weekdays and the other for weekends. The 5-1-1 day model allows you to build three schedules: one for weekdays, one for weekends, and one for holidays. Finally, the seven-day approach allows you to make a timetable for each day of the week. The 7-day approach is for you if your schedule isn’t usual.
