Does Adjusting Your Thermostat Really Save You Money?

| The Family Handyman 3/14/20, 3:34 PM

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Does Setting Your Thermostat Save You Money?

It’s true: You can save money on your heating and cooling bills by simply resetting your thermostat at night and when you are away from
home. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, “you can save as much as 10 percent per year on heating and cooling by simply
turning your thermostat back seven to 10° for eight hours a day from its normal setting.” The savings is greater for buildings in milder

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Does Adjusting Your Thermostat Really Save You Money? | The Family Handyman 3/14/20, 3:34 PM

climates than for those in more severe climates.

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Here’s a collection of tips to help you slash heating bills this winter.

The same strategy works for summertime air conditioning temperatures as well. Simply keep your house warmer than normal when
you’re away, and only cool your house when you’re at home. Basically, the smaller the di!erence between the indoor and outdoor
temperatures, the lower your overall air conditioning bill will be.

To do this, you’ll need a programmable thermostat. Schedule the times you turn on the heating or air-conditioning. The thermostat can
store multiple daily settings that you can manually override without a!ecting the rest of the schedule.

Important Factors that Affect Home Heating:

1. How old is your house? The age of the house often determines the quality of your insulation. A well-insulated home holds heat longer
and loses it slower, making the reheating or cooling period much quicker.
2. Do you have hardwood or tile !oors? If so, it will take longer to warm up the floor than it takes to warm up the air. But that’s easily
remedied with a warm pair of slippers.
3. What type of heating system do you have? Programmable thermostats are generally not recommended for heat pumps, where setting
back the thermostat can cause the unit to operate inefficiently. In that case, maintaining a moderate temperature is the better savings
strategy. Steam heating and radiant "oor heating systems respond slowly to temperature changes, so some experts suggest set-backs
aren’t best for these systems.
4. Where is your thermostat located? Location can affect performance and e#ciency. Consult the manufacturer’s installation
instructions to prevent “ghost readings.” To operate properly, a thermostat must be on an interior wall away from direct sunlight, drafts,
furniture, doorways, skylights, and windows.

Additionally, be cautious about how low you set your thermostat when you are trying to cool down your home quickly. This strategy will

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Does Adjusting Your Thermostat Really Save You Money? | The Family Handyman 3/14/20, 3:34 PM

not actually cool your home any faster. Instead, it results in excessive cooling and, therefore, an unnecessary expense on your bill. The
same goes for heating. Check out these 16 ways to warm up a cold room that actually work.

If you need a little bit more warmth, these are the things you should know about electric space heaters:

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