Being a homeowner comes with many responsibilities and one of those is heating your home during colder months. With energy prices high, heating your home can be a challenge for many on a budget and googling doesn’t always give you the solutions you need. If you’ve have asked yourself “Should I leave my heat on low all day or turn it off when I am gone?” Here is some advice from Virginia Air Heating and Cooling below.
One tip from the Department of Energy to lower your energy bill.
Set your thermostat to a temperature appropriate for the season and then turn
your thermostat from 68°F to 70°F while you're awake and even lower when you're sleeping or away from home. (https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/programmable-thermostats)
According to the Department of Energy,
“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.
The smaller the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be. You can easily save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to around 68°F to 70°F while you're awake and setting it lower while you're asleep or away from home.”
One question we receive from some of our clients as the weather starts to get colder but Virginia still has warm days, is “Is it a good idea turning your heat off completely?” We advise them that it would be better to turn down the heat to a lower setting rather than turning if off. Dropping your thermostat down instead of turning it off completely can help significantly reduce your heating costs — in some cases by 10%.
We suggest to our clients to purchase a smart thermostat, which is a great solution for keeping a home at an energy-saving temperature. A smart thermostat gives the homeowner the control to schedule different temperatures for different times of the day or to shut the heat off/on whenever they want, even if they are not at home.
In Conclusion
Virginia Air Heating and Cooling suggests turn
your thermostat to 68°F to 70°F while you're awake and even lower when you're sleeping or away from home which is the best way to save on your energy bill as opposed to turning your system off. If you don’t have a smart thermostat, consider purchasing one as it gives you the option of controlling the heat in your home, helping you to save money on utility bills during cold spells. A humidifier on an HVAC system is often wired to run only when the heat is running. So if your home is dry, you may want to consider leaving the heat setting alone so the humidifier runs.