What’s the best thermostat setting for your home during winter?
There’s no one best answer to that question. It can vary for different people depending on their needs and preferences.
After all, it’s not just a question of saving money. You also want to be comfortable in your home, and some people’s ideal temperatures could be a degree or two warmer or colder than those of someone else in the same household.
The temperature for optimal energy savings
The best temperature for optimal energy savings varies depending on the experts you talk to.
For example, the best temperatures according to the Department of Energy are 68° degrees during those times when you are in your house and active, and 56° when everyone is away from home at school or work, or at night when everyone is in bed.
Other energy-saving experts suggest people keep their houses a little bit warmer – 72° when people are in the home and active, and 68° when people are gone or at night.
You’ll save more money on your heating bills if you set your thermostat at 68° during the day and 56° at night, but will you be comfortable at these temperatures? Will you or your loved ones be comfortable at 72° during the day and 68° at night?
That’s for you to decide.
Programmable thermostats
Whatever temperatures you decide on, the problem is how to set them? A programmable thermostat solves the problem. With a programmable thermostat, you set your ideal temperatures, and then don’t have to worry about it again.
Don’t “crank” the thermostat
One error many people make is to “crank” their thermostat to 80°, thinking that the heater will work faster and warm their home quicker. This isn’t the case. Most furnaces heat up at a single speed! (In the same way that an air conditioner cools down at a single speed.)
How to save money and be comfortable
Have your furnace cleaned and tuned
The first thing to do, at least a month before cold weather hits, is to have your furnace cleaned and tuned ready for winter. The furnace will work more efficiently, which in turn will save you money.
Weatherize your home for winter
Many people feel cold drafts, and rather than fixing those drafts, they turn up the heat! At the start of each winter, weatherize your home to prevent uncomfortable drafts from entering through gaps in window and door frames. Place weather-stripping on the sides and bottoms of doors as well to keep out those drafts.
Depending on the type of glass you have in your windows, the cold air can come right through them. Consider using insulated curtains to help keep the cold where it belongs – outside!
Wear extra clothing
If your family feels too cold at 72°, encourage them to put on a sweater or sweatshirt. Often, that’s all that’s needed to make them feel comfortable.
Wooden floors, while beautiful, can be cold on the feet in winter. Socks or slippers will solve that problem.
By following these simple steps, you’ll be able to keep warm and comfortable in winter, and not be hit by high heating bills every month.
Add Humidity
In many climates, indoor humidity levels can drop uncomfortably low in the colder months of the year. Proper humidity levels can help you feel more comfortable at lower temperatures helping to lower your overall utility investment.
Humidity levels in the proper range also have a whole list of other benefits which include reduced snoring, increased immune system efficiency, fewer bloody noses, and less itchy, dry skin.
Schedule your seasonal maintenance now.
Call the N.A.T.E. certified experts at Summit Heating, A/C, Plumbing & Electrical to schedule your seasonal HVAC maintenance. We will perform all needed seasonal tasks, such as replacing filters, cleaning your ducts, and inspecting your heat exchanger to ensure everything is working as it should.
Need more information?
Reach out today. Summit Heating, A/C, Plumbing & Electrical is the number one in-home comfort in Denver and we’d love to count you as one of our satisfied customers.
