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 heating or air conditioning continues to run, with nobody home. This uses a lot of energy and feels like wasting money. You can considerably reduce this cost by setting the thermostat up or down as you leave for work and setting it back to your preferred temperature when you get home. But how much should you adjust it? 

Here’s what the Department of Energy has to say about thermostat settings: 

You can save up to 10% a year on HVAC costs 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 variation between the outdoor and indoor temperatures, the lower your complete cooling bill will be. You can comfortably 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 is comfortable for you when you are at home and want cooling and to ensure humidity control if needed. 

You may have been told that doing these adjustments aren’t worth the effort 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 

Despite the benefits of setting your thermostat every time you head 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 a different temperature during your regular work hours. And with a smart thermostat, you can change the temperature (or the programming schedule) from your smartphone or similar device. 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. 

Other 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 minimizes air pollution and greenhouse gasses. 
• HVAC Longevity – Overusing your HVAC unit can reduce its life expectancy and cause more maintenance to be required. It also means the air filter can 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 professionals at Climate Control Service Experts, a big company with hometown 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 central to our business. We work hard to help each team member become a skilled craftsman. We hire the best and offer training, opportunities and reinforcement, so our teams can learn, grow and be equipped for any challenge thrown their way. 

Our combined business strength and people separate us from other service companies. With over 4,000 team members on board, we can deliver and innovate more successfully than the rest of the industry. Our positive, family attitude fuels our collaboration and helps us get the job done on time, and right — the first time. 

Our blend 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 best ideas. That means our teams and customers can rest assured we’re moving, innovating, delivering, and in it for the long haul, through the busiest times and beyond. 

We are Climate Control Service Experts! Delivering strength, knowledge and support through every season.