Homeowners have a propensity to reach for the thermostat and crank it up or down to remain comfortable when stifling summer or cold winter temperatures set in. They find out a few weeks later that their energy bills have skyrocketed and wonder why they have gone up dramatically.
The equation is straightforward though; the more your indoor temperatures vary from the outside temperature, the higher your energy bills will be. However, a temperature range that keeps your house comfortable and your bills down can be hard to find.
Here though, to help, we are going to outline some temperature tips to help you find that ‘sweet spot’ for your home as well as some alternatives to standard heating and cooling that will help make things more comfortable during the extreme temperatures without raising your bills.
Save Money at Night and When You Leave Home
You don’t need your HVAC system to operate at full capacity while your family is asleep or away from the house. Even though you might enjoy coming home to a pre-heated or-cooled home, by giving your heating and cooling system a break when you’re not there, you’ll save a lot of money. In fact, you will be able to save up to 10 percent on your cooling bill by raising your indoor temperature by just 7 to 10 degrees when you leave the house for a few hours.
The body experiences more restful sleep at night when it enters thermoneutrality, a state of thermal equilibrium between the person and his or her environment, according to a report by the National Institute of Health.
According to them the surrounding nighttime temperature should be stabilized at 86 degrees with minimal clothing and bedding to achieve this state, or 60 to 66 degrees with pajamas and light covers.
So, raising the thermostat to a warm temperature of, say, 80 degrees, dressing in lighter pajamas, and covering yourself with a sheet is one way to get a decent night of sleep and save energy during the summer. Bundle up in the winter and turn down the thermostat to save money when it’s cold.
Install a Programmable Thermostat and Teach It Your Schedule
Consider investing in a programmable thermostat that can be taught your schedule, like Nest’s learning thermostat. When you are not there, this saves running the system, but you also do not return home or wake up to a stuffy or chilly house. Shortly before arriving, or just before your wake-up time, the thermostat will have started to warm or cool the environment.
Keep the US Department of Energy’s seasonal guidelines for resting temperatures in mind while you plan your thermostat temperatures for your at-home time. They suggest staying at 78 degrees while you’re at home in the summer. This may sound like an uncomfortable indoor temperature for the summer, but when you decide to lower the thermostat, it actually stops heat from streaming into your home as easily and decreases the energy needed to cool things down. In winter, when you’re at home, 68 is a good temperature to stay at, but when you plan to be away from home, you can lower it slightly, just make sure to keep it above 55 degrees to keep your pipes from freezing.
Experiment a Little
It may be time to experiment if you are worried about your increasing energy bills but also about your family’s comfort. By turning the temperature up or down by only a few degrees per day over the course of a few days until it hits the energy-saving temperatures recommended by the US Department of Energy, see how much you can wean your family off the HVAC system.
The American Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers Society has suggested that in light clothing, people are most comfortable between 73 and 79 degrees. A 4-degree temperature shift may not even be noticed by your family if it occurs within this range.
However, if you hit a temperature at which your family reacts negatively, you will know you have established your limits. From there on out, stay just above or below the temperature to conserve energy.
Find Other Ways to Stay Comfy
If you’ve decided to cut back on HVAC costs, it’s time to find new ways to stay comfortable in the heat or the cold that won’t make you uncomfortable. Here are some top tips:
Summer:
- Make use of fans, especially ceiling fans
Use a dehumidifier to help cool the house
Wear lightweight clothing
Keep blinds closed during the day
Make sure all weatherstripping seals properly
Eat a chilled treat
Stay hydrated
Winter:
- Dress in layers, wear socks, and use blankets
Cover hard floor surfaces with rugs
Seal all cracks in windows and doors
Keep curtains and doors closed
Cook with the stove and the oven
Drink warm beverages
Have Your HVAC System Serviced Regularly
Few other things can raise your energy bills more than systems that don’t work right, especially your HVAC system. An HVAC system that is failing – or even something as simple as a filter that is way too dirty – has to work much harder to even try to meet your needs, and will use a lot more energy in the process.
Simply by having your HVAC system serviced twice a year by an HVAC professional – once in the Spring and once in the Fall is ideal for most people – you can ensure that you are not wasting money that could have been saved just by keeping up with regular HVAC maintenance.