Although fall and winter are exciting seasons for their holidays and warm clothing, some homeowners might be less thrilled about this time of year because of the incoming hefty monthly heating bills. Especially if you have old, drafty windows, cranking up the heat this fall and winter will not do your wallet any favors. You want your family to stay comfortable at home, but you also want to save money.
You can do both by adjusting the temperature on your thermostat at different times of the day. Here’s how you can save money by adjusting either a standard or programmable thermostat:
How to Set Your Standard Thermostat
Right before you and your family leave for work or school in the morning, set your thermostat 3 degrees cooler. Keep it at this lower setting all day until you return home. Lowering the temperature by this degree for at least 8 hours a day can save you around 10% of your annual energy bill. A good rule of thumb for setting your thermostat is to set it at 68 degrees when you’re not home, and even a few degrees cooler than that when you’re asleep.
Remember that turning up the heat is not the only way to keep warm during the chilly fall and freezing winter. While at home and awake, you should keep your home’s interior temperature as cool as possible without it being unbearable. You might have to bundle up a little with this lower temperature, but the energy savings are well worth the extra layers. Make use of that throw blanket, or buy yourself cozy slippers and sweaters for the holidays.
Programmable Thermostats Mean Both Comfort and Savings
A programmable thermostat gives you much more flexibility to change the temperature than a standard thermostat. With a programmable thermostat in your home, you can automatically adjust your thermostat to a certain temperature at a certain time. You can set a particular temperature while you’re away during the day or asleep at night, and program your thermostat to change the temperature back just before the time you usually return home or wake up. This way, you won’t have to suffer through a cold house until the heat kicks in again—it will have already started running at the time you designate.
Like a standard thermostat, it’s recommended that you set your programmable thermostat to be about 3 degrees cooler for the 8 hours you’re at work or school during the day. Many programmable thermostats can be controlled remotely through an app on your smart phone, which allows you to check, lower, or raise your home’s temperature if necessary when you’re not home.
Contact R.A. Dobson for Programmable Thermostat Installation and Repair
R.A. Dobson is proud to provide thermostat installation and repair in Northern Virginia. R.A. Dobson has provided heating, air conditioning, and plumbing services for over 40 years, and our highly trained employees provide unparalleled customer serve and quality work. We can help you choose the programmable thermostat model that’s right for you and will help keep your energy costs down.
Don’t pay a ridiculous heating bill this fall and winter season. Call us today at (703) 481-3700 or use our contact form for thermostat installation and repair in Northern Virginia.