Setting the right temperature for your home can be kinda frustrating. You want every room to feel comfortable, but you also don’t want to jack up utility bills or overwork your HVAC system. And during the transition between seasons, finding that optimal temperature can be even trickier. But we’re here to help! Check out the most efficient temperatures to set your thermostat in every season throughout the year.
- Bundling Up in the Dead of Winter
When the temp drops outside, don’t go crazy raising yours. In general during the winter, you want to keep your home at 72°F during the day and 68°F at night. You can obviously vary a degree or two based on your personal preferences, but staying within this range will help you maintain the most energy efficient temperature.
Even though temperatures can really drop at night, you don’t need your thermostat any higher than 68°F when you’re wrapped in the warmth of blankets and covers.
- Transitioning Between Seasons
For those liminal times when temperatures aren’t at either extreme, the rules are still generally the same: set your thermostat between 68°F and 72°F. Minimal heating or cooling is needed during these time periods, so even if it’s seasonably warm or cold one day, try to keep your thermostat around 68°F. This should allow you to feel comfortable, while reducing cost efficiency and reducing the strain put on your HVAC.
Also, keep in mind that making your home too warm in any season can increase humidity levels which can lead to other efficiency and air quality issues. Remember, blankets or layers are another great way to warm up without the risk — or the extra cash.
- When It’s a Real Scorcher Out There
We know when those heat waves hit, AC is everything. But you really don’t need your home to be 60°F or below to feel cool and comfortable. In fact, The U.S. Department of Energy recommends setting your thermostat to 78°F when you’re home in the summertime. Yep, 78.
But if that just doesn’t work for you, there are some ways to make sure you’re comfortable without really paying for it. Try investing in a smart thermostat, giving you the ability to adjust temperatures from anywhere. That way, you can crank up temps while you’re away, and then start the cooling process from wherever you are before you get home. For every degree you raise your thermostat above 72, you can save 3% of cooling costs, so you can balance out the expenses. These programmable thermostats also utilize room sensors to help manage hot and cold spots with free energy reports each month.
Also, keep in mind little things like turning on the ceiling fans, using dehumidifiers, and even shutting the blinds during the day are also inexpensive ways to keep your home cool.
- When No One’s Home
If you’re headed out of the house for an extended period of time, there’s no need to heat or cool an empty home. Again, smart or programmable thermostats allow your system to make the proper adjustments for optimal efficiency while you’re away using a pre-set schedule. You can store and repeat multiple daily settings (6+ temperature settings in a single day) for when you’re out of the house, in the home, or asleep. Get off work early? Extending your vacation? Don’t sweat it. You can also manually override any setting without affecting the rest of the daily or weekly program.
Now that you know the most efficient temperatures to keep you comfortable in any season, let Madsen make sure you have the right technology to make managing your thermostat easy. Our technicians specialize in the installation and service of the industry’s top digital brands in programmable thermostat, so you can set it and forget it. And we’re always here to answer any heating or temperature control questions you may have! Contact us today.