What Should I Set My Thermostat at To Save Money?

According to a recent study, about nine out of ten Americans say they rarely (or never) program their thermostat – mostly because they’re not sure how to do it.

If you’re one of those nine people, we urge you to invest a little time in the coming weeks to learn how set your thermostat!

That’s because managing the temperature of your home with a programmable thermostat is one of the easiest ways we know to save 10 percent or more on your energy costs (if you don’t have a programmable thermostat, we strongly suggest you install one before heating season – if you use it correctly, it will pay for itself in the first year you own it, and potentially save you hundreds of dollars in energy bills for years to come).

The Most Cost-Effective Thermostat Settings

Once you get a handle on using your programmable thermostat, the U.S Department of Energy suggests the following settings for an optimum balance of comfort and savings:

Summer months:

• When you’re home and awake, program air conditioning to 78°F.
• Program the AC to shut off during the hours you’re out of the house.

Winter months:

• When you’re home and awake, set the thermostat for 68°F.
• Lower temperatures by 10° for the hours you’re asleep or out of the house.

In general:

• Program heat or A/C to shut off 20-30 minutes before you leave home each day; return them to normal comfort levels 20 to 30 minutes before you come home.*
• Program reductions in heating or cooling to begin 60 minutes before you go to sleep; return them to normal comfort levels 30 minutes before you awaken.

* If you have wi-fi / wireless thermostat, you can control your home’s temperature from your smartphone.

Be smart and save on your monthly energy bills! Want to save even more? Become an Economy Oil customer and pay less for your heating oil deliveries. Contact us today to learn more.