There's a myth that adjusting your thermostat throughout the day uses more energy than keeping it at a steady temperature. But it's just that. A myth. By adjusting your thermostat somewhere around 7°-10°F for eight hours a day, you can actually save about 10% on your energy bills.
It is recommended to set the thermostat lower at night and when you are away from home, as this can save energy and money on heating costs. It is also recommended to set it higher during the summer, to keep cool.
Adjusting the thermostat constantly causes your HVAC system to start up and shut down frequently. This process forces your system to work harder, putting extra strain on it. This also puts added stress on your thermostat. Ultimately, the whole HVAC system suffers and wears out faster.
68 to 72 degrees is a temperature range that is not too warm or cool, and is sufficient enough to warm up the home just enough so that everyone is comfortable regardless of the type of clothing they have on.
You can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by simply turning your thermostat back 7°-10°F for 8 hours a day from its normal setting. The percentage of savings from setback is greater for buildings in milder climates than for those in more severe climates.
To save money, aim to have your temperature set around 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit when you're at home and awake. This is a comfortable temperature for most with the help of a light sweater. Overnight and when you're out, around 64 degrees Fahrenheit will keep your home at a good temperature.
The reality is that frequent switching on and off actually uses more energy than just leaving your heater on and can end up costing you more in energy bills. The reason why is that modern furnaces have automatic settings meant to optimize heating efficiency.
Recommended Temperature When the Home is Vacant
For short periods of time away, like going to work, we'd recommend a temperature of around 55 – 60 degrees (F). While away on long periods of time, such as vacation, we don't recommend setting the temperature any lower than 50 degrees (F).
While ENERGY STAR suggests 82 degrees, that may be too uncomfortable for most families. Most people sleep better when their sleeping area is chilly, so that's why the National Sleep Foundation advises 60–67 degrees.
Our recommendation: When you head to work or vacation and want to lower your temperature setting, we would not recommend going below 50 degrees F. This strikes a good balance between conserving energy while preventing problems such as: Frozen indoor pipes. Damage from condensation on furnishings and electronics.
There's a myth that adjusting your thermostat throughout the day uses more energy than keeping it at a steady temperature. But it's just that. A myth. By adjusting your thermostat somewhere around 7°-10°F for eight hours a day, you can actually save about 10% on your energy bills.
Keeping your home at a constant temperature generally means that your HVAC system will run constantly to meet it. This means that your furnace or air conditioner may run when you're asleep, at work, or out of the house. This wastes more energy than the minimal amount that you might save by having it constantly run.
Turn it down, but not too far
While there are energy and cost savings to be made by lowering the thermostat below 21°C – it is important to not let the house get too cold. If the building gets too cold, it increases the chances of damp, mould and condensation.
Quick answer: The ideal house temperature is room temperature, which ranges from 68 to 78 degrees F, though this may vary from season to season. In winter, the average room temperature is generally 62 to 68 degrees, whereas in the summer, the average temperature is 72 to 78 degrees.
Setting the thermostat below 72 degrees while using an air conditioner can cause the unit to work harder than necessary, leading to higher energy bills and potential damage to the appliance.
For many of us, 70 degrees is the ideal indoor temperature, but when it is close to 100 degrees outside, your AC unit will be working quite hard to meet these expectations. Consider setting your thermostat at 75 degrees to 80 degrees in your home if the outside temperature is approaching triple digits.
This is more of a personal question, as different people feel comfortable at different temperatures. Since 72 degrees is generally agreed upon to be an ideal indoor temperature, most people would probably still feel comfortable setting their AC units slightly higher than this, perhaps at around 75.
Sleeping in a room with the air conditioner set to an appropriate temperature is important for quality sleep. The ideal AC temperature for sleeping is around 65°F (18.3°C). However, this may differ between individuals, who might find their ideal AC temperature lies between 60 and 67°F (15.6 and 19.4°C).
The World Health Organization recommends a thermostat setting no lower than 68 degrees while you're home. If you have children or seniors in your house, that number increases to at least 70 degrees. If your house is too cold, it can cause problems with blood pressure and circulation, as well as affect your heart rate.
Even in normal circumstances, turning a thermostat down too low is not a good idea: the compressor will run longer without improved cooling. Trying to utilise this to compensate for an air conditioner can no longer chill the house as effectively as it should be, putting more load on an already faulty system.
Energy.gov suggests that 68 degrees is a good room temperature while you're awake at home but recommends lowering it while you're asleep or away. Lowering your thermostat 7-10 degrees for eight hours a day can reduce your annual heating expenses by as much as 10 percent.
Most people know that turning up the thermostat on their air conditioner to a higher temperature will result in cooler air blowing from the vents. However, there is a point at which increasing the temperature any further does not make the air cooler – it just uses more energy and costs more money.
Does turning the heat on and off raise the bill each month? The answer is no. Adjusting your thermostat to lower settings when you're not home or when you're asleep can actually lead to significant heating bill savings.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, homeowners can save on utility bills by turning down their thermostats before they go to sleep and during the daytime hours when/if no one is home. You can save an average of 1% on energy costs for every degree reduced on your thermostat.