Is it more expensive to keep a constant temperature in your house?

Question

For example, I turn off the heater overnight. However, this morning it was 49 degrees. I keep the temp during the day at 68, so turning on the heater this morning, did that cost more than leaving it on overnight? (same thing about A/C... I wait until it gets unbearable about 78 degrees and THEN turn the A/C on. It never gets below 75 in the Summer...). So... basically, does it have to work harder if the temps are at such extreme highs/lows? I am trying to save some money if I can :) Thanks

Answer 1

Green Eyes,
The urban myth is that you spend more bringing the house up to 68 degrees than you would by just holding it at that temp. It IS a myth. Your furnaces's job is to replace the heat your house looses to the rest of the world. Given that you have an unchanging quality of insulation and an unchanging rate of air leakage (drafty windows, doors, etc.) the only factor which alters the rate of heat loss (or gain) is the difference between the interior and the exterior temp... For any hours you tolerate the house closer to the outside temp. you will loose heat more slowly. A logical extension: It is 40 degrees outside. If you set the thermostat at 40 the furnace won't need to run. Go away for a month. The cost of bringing the house back up to 68 upon your return will be way less than holding it there - 28 degrees above the outside temp. - for a month.

Answer 2

You are saving energy and money any time you can lower your themostate or turn it off.

Answer 3

wtf? why don't you turn it off when you are AT WORK and keep it on when you are AT HOME?