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10 Tips for the Thermostat: Your Key to Savings
Adapted from 547 Ways to be Fuel Smart, by Roger Albright.
Thermostats, where they are located in your home, and how you set them can be the most important factor in determining the size of your fuel bill.
1. When you’ll be out for an evening, turn down the thermostats. If you’ll be away for a weekend or more, lower the thermostats to 55 F. You’ll save on heating without risking a freeze-up of your water pipes.
2. Whenever you can lower your thermostat dramatically for a few days or more, you’ll save a little on the operation of the refrigerator and freezer, which won’t need to work so hard to maintain their cool.
3. How low can your thermostats be set? At our house, we’ve gotten accustomed to 68 F as a comfortable norm. Reduce the heat just 1 degree at a time and try it for a week. Each 1-degree drop for an eight-hour period reduces your fuel bill percent. Gradually, you might be able to down 3 or even 4 degrees comfortably and save a chunk of money.
4. Try turning down the thermostat 5 to 10 degrees at night, and then turn it up again in the morning when the coffee is brewing. If you can get used to that, you’ll save 5 to 10 percent of your heating bill.
Once common myth is that when you reduce the thermostat for only a few hours it will take more heat to bring your home back up to the desired temperature. This is not so. You will save money and fuel because your heating system will not have to keep your home so warm. You will use less energy overall even when you warm up your house from a cooler temperature.
5. For greater ease and comfort, install a programmable set-back thermostat. They are available for most gas- and oil-fueled central heating systems. In this way, you can have the heat turned up before you get up in the morning and lowered just as you get into bed. You may not even notice that you are setting back your thermostat. Most of these thermostats come with two setbacks. Therefore, you can also set back the thermostat for the hours when people are in school or at work.
6. Some setback thermostats have different setbacks for weekends. If you frequently forget to setback your thermostat, the programmable setback thermostats will be a great investment. Even if you are already pretty good at remembering, these devices can frequently enable you to set back the thermostat a few extra degrees, providing you with additional savings.
7. If you heat with electricity, you can take advantage of the individual room thermostats that make it possible to shut off unused rooms and to have cool settings in some rooms and warmer settings in others. Using this feature of electric heat will definitely reduce your fuel bills. If you have a thermostat that controls a relatively large area, you should still consider a setback thermostat. You will need an electrician for this installation.
8. Do you need to talk yourself into a lower thermostat setting? Here’s an argument. Your plants are healthier in the cooler air. The health of your plants isn’t in the same league with your personal comfort? All right, you’ll be healthier in the cooler air. Your body will burn a few more calories keeping you warm, thereby helping you to lose weight and improve your general health. Besides, if you’ve already insulated and tightened your home, you will probably be just as comfortable at lower temperatures.
9. When it’s time to open the windows for a little fresh air in the spring, remember to turn down the thermostats. Those cool breezes that feel so good will send your furnace on a fuel-burning rampage unless the thermostats are reset.
10. Planning a party? Turn the thermostats down. Each guest is the equivalent of a 175-watt heater, and a large group will warm up the place without the furnace or the heating units in operation.
Go to the Source
547 Ways to Be Fuel smart
The rising costs and shortages of oil, gasoline, natural gas, and electricity are front-page news. Instead of joining the panic, take effective action that will bring your household fuel costs under control with simple projects you can do right now to save money.buy nowrelated stories
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113 comments
add your comment »Excellent Tips!
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why is this inappropriate?
My husband turns down the heat to 60 at night, which is fine with me. When I get up in the morning, I am cold and turn it up to 68 degrees. He then irritates me and turns it back down to 65. Then he turns it up a little later (if he remembers) to later on. His theory is that it is too much to turn it up more than a couple of degrees and we would waste money if we turn the thermostat up more than a couple of degrees at a time. I have a medical condition called Reynaud’s disease and I need it to be warm at least 68 degrees in the morning. I tried to find some information on this on the web but could not. Can anyone direct me to a web site on this matter?
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I turn my used fluorescent bulbs into my nearby Home Depot for safe disposal of the mercury. I have read that any Home Depot will accept CFLs but if you don't live near a Home Depot you can check on earth911.com for CFL with your zip code and find a place that accepts them.
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Sorry,I meant that to read I have to clean the bottom of the water heater so it will more efficient.
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I have to clean the bottom of the water to keep it heating more efficiently.
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My husband works in the environment field for the government. He says the mercury content in the compact flourescent light bulbs makes them a bad idea for disposing of when used up.
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EACH OF US TOGETHER CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
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We have the newest energy saver light bulbs, we keep the water heater turned down as low as possible, we recycle everything we can, we had our home completely insulated ceilings, walls, and storm windows added. We have sealed all places that air might come in. We turn off lights and unplug appliances that we do not need on or plugged in. We try to plan our errands where we use the least amount of gas and get them done. We conserve water with our new shower/tub which is also an energy saver. All of our new appliances are energy star. I do laundry in cold water the majority of the time. I only do laundry when I have a full load. I now have the "green bags" that I take to the stores and do not get any of the plastic bags anymore. There are so many things you can do to conserve energy. Lots are just small things, but can add up to lots of savings for your household and help our planet.
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If we all clenched our fists in one to do anything to help so this planet can be a better place for our next generations to be on.
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A GOOD FIX IF YOU HAVE ELECTRIC HOT WATER HEATER
To lower your cost install a 220 volt switch close to your hot water heater, then when hot water is needed turn on wait from 20 minutes to an hour then use. Ideal for those houses that set empty during the day. You should reduce your electric bill by 30 to 40%. Cost to install is minimal switches are cheap and a handy man can do the job quickly to hire it done may cost from $50 to 100 but not more. GOOD LUCK LET US ALL CONSERVE.
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