Kids Going Back to School? Set Your Thermostat This Way
Summer break is coming to an end and the kiddos will soon be back in school (a bittersweet feeling, we get it).
But whatever back-to-school season means to you, we have an energy-saving tip that can save you up to 10% on your monthly electricity bills.
Here’s the tip: While the kids are at school during the day, and you’re at work, set your thermostat back 7° to 10° from your normal temperature.
Let’s look at how this tip saves you money...
Why setting your thermostat back 7°–10° during the school day saves you money
By adjusting the thermostat temperature 7° to 10° from where you normally set it, your HVAC system (AC + furnace) doesn’t have to run as long, which lowers how much energy it uses. And the less energy your HVAC system consumes, the lower your energy bill will be.
How you adjust your thermostat depends on the season:
- During the summer, you’d raise your thermostat 7° to 10°
- During the winter, you’d lower your thermostat 7° to 10°
So, how much will you save on your utility bills by adjusting your thermostat this way?
Well according to Energy.gov, you can save up to 10% per year by turning your thermostat back 7° to 10° for 8 hours per day.
So basically, for every 1° you raise/lower your thermostat, you’re more or less saving up to 1% on your energy bill.
Let’s look at how your school-day schedule might look during the summer months:
- 7:30 am — You leave your house to drop off the kids at school and head to work
- 5:30 pm — You and the kids arrive home from work/school
Now, say that your normal temperature while you’re at home is 77°. Based on that schedule, this is how you could set your thermostat:
- 7:30 am — When you leave the house, raise your thermostat to 84° to 87°
- 5:30 pm — When you and the kids arrive home, lower your thermostat back to 77°
Note: During the winter months, you can just do the opposite—lower your thermostat 7° to 10° during the day while the you and the kids are away.
The only problem is that you’ll have to remember to set your thermostat manually each time you leave/arrive, unless you have a programmable thermostat...
The best way to save? Invest in a programmable thermostat
A programmable thermostat allows you to program your weekly schedule so you don’t have to adjust your thermostat every time you leave the house or come home.
Plus, since your daily schedule is automated, you don’t ever have to wait the 20–30 minutes it takes your HVAC to cool/heat your home back to your desired temperature.
Let’s look at how a programmable thermostat would work with your hypothetical summer school-day schedule:
- 7:30 am — You leave your house to drop off the kids at school and head to work (the programmable thermostat will start to raise the temperature from 77° to 84°–87°, depending on what you set as the away temperature)
- 8:00 am — You’re at work, the kids are at school and your home’s temperature is now 84°–87°
- 5:00 pm — You’re picking up the kids and heading home (the programmable thermostat tells your AC system to start lowering the temperature back to 77°)
- 5:30 pm — You and the kids walk into a comfortable home at 77°
Interested in a programmable thermostat?
We’ll provide you with programmable thermostat recommendations that work with your current HVAC system.
Learn more about programmable thermostats work by visiting our programmable thermostat service page or by reading the related articles below:
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