Summer heat isn’t just a safety issue, it’s also a pain in the wallet for people at home. How do you balance pushing up the AC for comfort with managing your energy bills?
Smart thermostats can help a ton, thanks to their automated features and easy remote control (including shutting down manual controls if someone keeps the AC on 24/7). But that’s only the start of how you can save money while staying cool. Try my vital home settings below, and since it’s summer, feel free to skip the winter section for now.
This is the ideal thermostat temperature for the winter
When weather gets cold, making adjustments could save you significant cash.
In the winter, experts recommend that you set your thermostat to 68 degrees Fahrenheit when you’re home, and 60 to 65 degrees when you’re asleep or away.
You can set it higher, but that will reduce efficiency and lead to higher energy bills. It also depends on the weather outside, said Julian Picard, owner of HVAC company Centerline Mechanical. If it’s 20 degrees Fahrenheit outside, maybe don’t set your thermostat to 80 degrees, he advised.
Then there’s the question of changing the temperature at night or when you’re not home. The Department of Energy suggests you turn your thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees from its normal setting for 8 hours a day, saying that can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling.
Picard suggested a smaller change: Lower the temperature by just four degrees when you’re away or asleep. This means your system won’t have to work quite as hard to get back to temperature.
“You don’t want to have drastic changes in temperature,” said Mahlie Dukes, franchise owner of WIN Home Inspection in Indiana.
You should also get to know your specific heating system. If you notice, for example, that your home never gets up to the temperature you set, that could be a sign that your system is improperly sized for your home, Picard says. And it’s a cue to lower your thermostat setting so your HVAC won’t constantly be working on overdrive.
Read more: You Can Actually Save Money by Using Electricity at These Specific Times
This is the ideal setting for the summer
Thermostat satellite sensors are one of the best inventions for home heating.
Your thermostat knows how to set the temperature because it has a thermometer inside it. So if your thermostat is in the wrong spot, it won’t give you an accurate reading of the temp in your home.
You want to avoid having your thermostat in a location that sees frequent changes in temperature or humidity, like in the kitchen or bathroom. If it’s on an exterior wall, it might be more sensitive to outdoor temperature changes, too. Instead, try to position your thermostat on an interior wall in a location such as your living room.
If your thermostat supports external room sensors, having sensors in other locations — like a bedroom — can help you better regulate the temperature in the rooms where you spend most of your time.
Major thermostat brands including Ecobee and Nest offer these satellite sensors and various ways to let thermostats use their data, allowing for customization. But be careful — put the sensor in a spot that’s too cold or hot and it could put your thermostat into overdrive, wasting money.
