Winter Thermostat Settings
Midwest homeowners ponder this question each year when temperatures start dropping and it’s time to turn on the furnace. Answering the question, however, is not as simple as one specific temperature, especially as financial and energy usage concerns differ from one family and home to the next.
Recommendations for winter thermostat settings:
- If someone is at home in the daytime, 72° F is a good start, but aim for 68° F.
- If everyone is away from home in the daytime, or you’re asleep at night, directenergy.com states that 66° F to 62° F is best.
But instead of focusing on a perfect temperature, you will benefit from establishing an energy-efficient winter heating strategy that will keep your home comfortable and your thermostat settings reasonable, so you won’t need to worry about large energy bills.
Here are a few energy-efficient tips for winter:
Ease into Winter to Start Saving
Every home has its temperature preference but setting the thermostat to that temperature and never changing it isn’t helpful to your energy bills.
- Set your thermostats at that desired high temperature.
- Once you and your family acclimate to the colder weather, lower the temperature in the home by one degree each week.
- This one-degree reduction – maintained for even eight hours – can reduce a home’s energy bill by 1 percent, according to the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY.
- Lowering the temperature further and preserving these lower temperatures for longer periods of time increases those savings, and you’ll probably never notice the difference with such a slow, gradual change.
Invest In and Optimize a Programmable Thermostat
There is no perfect winter indoor temperature for every home, and the savviest homeowners realize there is no perfect temperature for every moment in their homes. The ideal opportunities to lower the temperature and reduce expenses come at times when your home is left empty. Many homeowners miss this opportunity because they find constantly programming their thermostats is too time-consuming. Although it may take time, it will help you save on energy costs in the long run.
Determining the perfect winter indoor temperature for your home is really a matter of supply and demand. You must measure your family’s desired comfort against the price you’re willing to pay for your winter heating bills.
Employing the strategies above can help you find that comfortable winter thermostat setting, one that doesn’t depend completely on your furnace and its associated expenses.
For any FURNACE REPAIRS or service needed throughout the season, our heating and cooling experts are here to help. Contact us with any questions.
