Best Thermostat Settings for Winter Vacation That's why you should never turn your heat all the way off when you are gone for an extended period. Instead, make a more moderate change to your thermostat. That way you won't be heating an empty house, but you also don't risk a broken pipe.
You shouldn't turn off the heat or the pipes can freeze and damage them when you turn the heat back on. You can turn down the heat but never turn it off during the winter.
Turning it off at the thermostat is the exact same as setting the temperature low enough that it turns off on its own. Sudden power cuts is the only real potential concern and anything made in the last 30 years will handle this flawlessly for the first dozen or more times it happens.
We recommend turning off your heating system whenever the temperature consistently reaches 50° F outdoors. This doesn't mean you must shut off your heating system entirely. Instead, it simply means that you should be able to at least shut it off throughout the daytime hours to help save money on your energy bills.
If it is going to be off for an extended time, it is cheaper to turn it down by maybe 15–20 deg F. If it isn't going to get very cold, it would be fine to just turn it off.
You should never turn your heat completely off in the winter, as you'll risk sustaining plumbing damage and uncomfortable temperatures for your pets. Leaving your heat down has clear advantages, from saving money to a longer-lasting heating system. Reasons to leave the heat down include: Higher energy savings.
The main benefit of setting the thermostat to 'Auto' is that it will result in more energy efficient usage. This is because the fan will run only when it's required. Also, the air filter will need to be changed or cleaned less frequently when the thermostat setting is set to 'Auto'.
It Can Affect Your Rest
Temperatures below 60 aren't good for sleeping. If you turn off the heat at night because you've got a heated bed or comforter, your body won't be comfortable enough for deep, restful sleep, even if you like the winter cold.
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.
While leaving your heating on all the time will mean your boiler is constantly using energy to keep the temperature at a set level, with poor insulation it will have to work even harder to maintain this temperature. An inefficient boiler, which already uses a lot of energy to run, is only going to add to the problem.
This is more than likely an electrical issue, so leave this one to the professionals. In fact, more often than not, this is a sign that you need to replace your thermostat entirely. You may also be experiencing difficulties in setting the programs on your thermostat or getting it to stick to the desired temperature.
So, in the sense of completely shutting off your heat and cranking it back up, it will cost you more. There are also health risks associated with setting your thermostat at a too-low temperature during winter, especially for seniors.
General recommendations for winter thermostat settings: If someone is at home in the daytime, 72° F (22° C) is a good start, but aim for 68° F (20° C). If everyone is away from home in the daytime or you're asleep at night, we feel 66° F (19° C) to 62° F (17° C) is best.
Turning your thermostat off for short or longer trips doesn't save money. This is because of the energy it takes to regain a comfortable temperature when you get back. And leaving it off for extended trips could result in stagnant, unhealthy air and frozen pipes.
Recommended Temperature When You Are Home
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends setting your thermostat no lower than 64 degrees (F) in the Winter months while people are in the home. If there are infants or elderly individuals, they recommend keeping the temperature at 70 degrees at a minimum.
During winter, the lower the interior temperature, the slower the heat loss. So the longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more energy you save, because your house has lost less energy than it would have at the higher temperature.
Bottom line. Overall, keeping your heat set to 68°F to 70°F during the day, and 7°F to 10°F lower when you're not home, is the best way to save on heating costs.
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.
It's advisable to keep your home below 80 degrees throughout the summer. A house that's too warm can be dangerous to people, pets, and the soft surfaces in your home. Set the winter temperature to 68 degrees when you're awake and 62 degrees when you're sleeping.
For your winter vacation, you need to make sure you don't have an issue with frozen pipes. That's why you should never turn your heat all the way off when you are gone for an extended period. Instead, make a more moderate change to your thermostat.
In fact, this will just cause the system to run for much longer than necessary, giving it unnecessary wear and tear and causing it to use extra energy. Instead, only adjust your thermostat by a few degrees at a time. This will allow your system to “catch up” without overworking itself or running up your energy bill.
Keeping your thermostat in the AUTO position means less overall energy is being used—and that reduces your utility bills considerably. Not only that, your air filter will last longer than they will if you leave your fan running continuously—in other words, if you leave it in the “on” position.
When it comes to whether you should set your furnace fan to “on” or to “auto” in winter, the answer for me is “auto” because it's the move that has the most to do with energy efficiency. It is not, however, the only thing you can do this winter to bolster your HVAC system's energy efficiency.
First, check your filters and coils for dirt and debris that may be impeding airflow. Once you've cleaned the filters and coils, run the air conditioner with just the fan so that the ice accumulation can melt off. If the AC still doesn't blow cold air, it could be that refrigerant levels are too low.
The best way to save money is by combining both. The “run” feature lets you preset the temperature when you're not home to prevent wasting money on cooling or heating an empty home. Meanwhile, the “hold” button lets you change the room's temperature without changing your energy-saving, preset schedule.