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

For plenty of 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 uses a lot of energy and wastes money. You can significantly reduce this cost by setting the thermostat up or down when you go to work and resetting it back to your favored temperature when you return home. But how much should you adjust the temperature? 

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

You can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by simply setting 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 difference between the both temperatures, the lower your total cooling bill can 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 in bed or away from home. In the summer, you can follow 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 return and want cooling and to ensure humidity control if needed. 

You could have been told that doing these adjustments aren’t worth it because your comfort system has to work harder to get back to your preferred temperature, undoing your savings, but the energy department puts that notion to rest, particularly for heating: “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 go to work, it’s very easy to miss 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 higher or lower temperature across your regular work hours. And with a smart thermostat, you can adjust the temperature (or the programming schedule) remotely. This is especially helpful if you’ve forgotten to change 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 thick fur won’t be comfy 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 Advantages of Adjusting Your Thermostat for When You’re Away 

• Carbon emissions – The harder you use your heating and air conditioning, the more carbon emissions you generate. Saving energy decreases air pollution and greenhouse gasses. 
• HVAC Longevity – Overusing your HVAC unit can cut its longevity and cause increased maintenance to be necessary. 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 Knochelmann 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 core to our service. We work hard to help each member of our staff become a skilled craftsman. We hire the best and provide training, opportunities and assistance, so our teams can learn, grow and be prepared for every 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 better than other companies. Our enthusiastic, family attitude powers 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 offer more with the next great idea … which can 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 relax knowing we’re moving, innovating, delivering, and in it for the long haul, through the busy times and beyond. 

We are Knochelmann Service Experts! Delivering strength, knowledge and support over every season.