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

For many hours a day you’re gone at work, or perhaps at school. Yet your heating or air conditioning keeps going and going, with nobody home. This needs a lot of energy and feels like wasting 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 may have been told that doing these adjustments aren’t worth it because your HVAC has to work harder to get back to your preferred temperature, undoing your savings, but the energy department puts that notion to rest, especially for heaters: “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 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 during your regular work hours. And with a smart thermostat, you can change the temperature (or the programming schedule) remotely. This is particularly 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 dense fur won’t be comfortable with high temperatures. And pets with short fur might not 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 Benefits of Adjusting Your Thermostat for When You’re Away 

• Carbon emissions – The harder you operate your heating and air conditioning, the more carbon emissions you generate. Preserving energy reduces air pollution and greenhouse gasses. 
• HVAC Longevity – Overusing your HVAC unit can diminish its life span and cause additional maintenance to be needed. It also means the air filter will clog up faster, making your indoor air quality worse. 

If you have any ideas about your air conditioner settings, or if you need HVAC repair or maintenance, call the professionals at Neal Harris Service Experts, a big company with hometown heart. We’re passionate about making the world a comfy 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 work. We work hard to help each member of our staff become a skilled craftsman. We hire the best and supply education, opportunities and support, so our teams can learn, grow and be ready for every challenge thrown their way. 

Our united business strength and people make us special. With over 4,000 team members on board, we can deliver and innovate more successfully than the rest of the industry. Our can-do, family attitude powers our teamwork 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 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 rest assured we’re moving, innovating, delivering, and in it for the long haul, through the busy times and beyond. 

We are Neal Harris Service Experts! Delivering strength, knowledge and support through every season.