Energy-Saving Thermostat Tips

For Summer:

• Set the thermostat at 78° F or higher. Each degree below 78° F means more energy use and higher cooling costs. You may want to set the thermostat even higher when you're not at home. Portable fans can help you feel comfortable at higher thermostat settings. Turn the air conditioner off when you go on vacation.
• Check the accuracy of the thermostat by placing a thermometer next to the thermostat and comparing the readings for room temperature. You may be cooling your home more than you think. For example, an inaccurate thermostat may indicate 78° F when the room is really 72° F, increasing your cooling cost up to 30% or more.
• For energy savings set the fan switch on a central system or room air conditioner on "automatic" instead of "on" or "continuous."
• A programmable thermostat lets you easily raise the thermostat during periods when no one is home, as well as raise the temperature overnight. You might save as much as 20% on your cooling costs and recover your investment in the first year.

For Winter:

• Set the thermostat at 68° F or lower. Each degree above 68° F means more energy use and higher costs.
• How low can your thermostats be set? Try reducing the heat just 1 degree at a time and try it for a week. Each 1 degree drop for an eight-hour period reduces your electric bill. Gradually, you might be able to go down 3 or even 4 degrees comfortably and save money.
• If you heat with electricity, you can take advantage of the individual room thermostats that make it possible to shut off unused rooms and to have cool settings in some rooms and warmer settings in others. Using this feature of electric heat will definitely reduce your bill. If you have a thermostat that controls a relatively large area, you should still consider a setback thermostat. You will need an electrician for this installation.
• Try turning down the thermostat 5 to 10 degrees at night, and then turn it up again in the morning. If you can get used to that, you'll save 5 to 10 percent of your heating bill.
• One common myth is that when you reduce the thermostat for only a few hours it will take more heat to bring your home back up to the desired temperature. This is not true. You will save money because your heating system will not have to keep your home so warm. You will use less energy overall even when you warm up your house from a cooler temperature.
• Planning a party? Turn the thermostats down. Each guest is the equivalent of a 175-watt heater, and a large group will warm up the place without the heating units in operation.
• When you'll be out for an evening, turn down the thermostats. If you'll be away for a weekend or more, lower the thermostats to 55 F. You'll save on heating without risking a freeze-up of your water pipes.
• Whenever you can lower your thermostat dramatically for a few days or more, you'll save a little on the operation of the refrigerator and freezer, which won't need to work so hard to maintain their cool.
• For energy savings set the fan switch on a central system or room air conditioner on "automatic" instead of "on" or "continuous."
• A programmable thermostat lets you easily raise the thermostat during periods when no one is home, as well as raise the temperature overnight. You might save as much as 20% on your cooling costs and recover your investment in the first year.