The invention of central heating and cooling is one that we’re all thankful for, especially when the weather outside isn’t very comfortable. But if you think your thermostat makes a big impact on your quality of life, it makes an even bigger one on your power bill. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, heating and cooling costs account for roughly 48% of residential users’ utility bills. While our neighbors to the south might have warmer summers than we do, we more than make up the difference when winter comes, so that statistic is probably reasonable accurate for Canadians as well.
It’s important to keep track of your thermostat, even in the summer, because of how much energy indoor environmental controls consume. No matter whether you have the latest and greatest computerized thermostat, or an old-fashioned box with with a black plastic lever and a red needle, it’s possible for you to keep heating and cooling costs down. Here are a few little adjustments you can make to your thermostat to make a big impact on your gas or electric bill.
Turn the temp down 15 degrees to save 15%
Here’s one tip to write down for when the winter months come. When wintertime arrives, you may have to keep the heat running 24/7 in order to keep things comfortable indoors. However, dropping the temperature by a few degrees for the hours when you’re cozy in bed can take a substantial chunk out of your power bill. Turning the thermostat down by 10 to 15 degrees for a continuous 8 hour period of time can shave 5 to 15% off of your heating bill. In optimal conditions, each additional degree can equal 1% in savings
If you happen to be living somewhere warm right now, similar savings can be achieved with your air conditioner as well–as much as 1% off your bill for every degree higher that you turn up the AC.
Heating up a cold house (or vice versa) isn’t as pricey as constantly keeping it copacetic
Many people believe that it’s cheaper to maintain a steady temperature than it is to only heat or cool a house when you’re home. However, this isn’t the case. In fact, the closer the inside temperature of your home is to the temperature outside, the slower that the internal temperature will shift to match the ambient air temperature. The reason for this is because of how convection works–that is, how heat spreads. The greater the difference in temperature is between two adjacent areas, the more quickly that heat will shift from a warmer area to a cooler.
What this means for your home is that when you keep your home at a temperature that is much different than it is outside, hot summer air will very quickly heat your home (or cold winter air will cool it). So in the end, your heater or AC will have to work harder than it would if you turn it off while you’re gone, and turn it back on when you get home.
Read the manual!
Have you ever owned a gadget for years and years, only to accidentally hit a button one day and have it surprise you with a cool feature you never knew existed? Modern thermostats can be pretty complicated and difficult to understand, but the tradeoff is that they often have a suite of advanced features that allow you to minimize the amount of energy you waste. It’s worth your while to dig through the kitchen junk drawer, find the manual for your thermostat, and actually read it. Investing just a few minutes may save you quite a few dollars in the long run.
