What is the cheaper option? Leaving the heating on all day and night so that house does not cool down or to switch it off at night and during daytime when nobody is home?
2006-12-21 22:52:19 · 14 answers · asked by Kafkan 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
set it to one temp and forget it.
2006-12-25 16:50:22 · answer #1 · answered by Chad 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
There are so many variables that without studying your home, it would be near impossible to give you a good answer. There are some simple ideas that you can follow that will help.
#1 Keep the heat down as low as you can feel comfortable. I find that somewhere between 65 and 70 will keep most folks in prety good comfort. Bottom line is the lower the setting on your thermostat, the lower your heating bill.
#2 If you use a setback thermostat , you will probably want to let the temperature fall no more than around 6 degrees during unoccupied periods. Again this depends on your insulation , size of heating system, temperature difference between outside and inside.
#3 Make sure you keep that humidity up around 50%, it sure will make you and your home warmer.
#4 Make sure all those windows are tight, if you have an older home, spend some on those temporary storm windows that you install with a hair dryer.
#5 If you have a furnace, be sure you change that filter at least every 30 days. Have any system checked at the beginning of the heating season.
2006-12-22 00:37:41 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you want to lower your heating bills, you may want to consider looking into better windows and doors and making sure there are not obvious leaks in the house. Those are heat killers. I live in a Victorian house: very old windows and leaky doors. We are in the midst of upgrading the windows, and it is making a major difference in the temperature of the house. The furnace comes on less often because the heat isnt leaking out of the old windows.
To answer your question, I dont think it matters. If you leave it on all the time, your heat will only come on when the temp drops to the level you set on your thermostat. If you turn it off during the day and turn it on when you get back home, the furnace will have to work to get the heat back up, but my guess is that it will run about the same amount of time.
2006-12-21 23:03:25 · answer #3 · answered by Freak Boy 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The best thing to do is find a temperature you are comfortable at and leave it there. If you want to save a little money turn it down 4-5 degrees only never vary the temp. more than that. If you switch it off then you will burn up all the energy (and money) you saved trying to get the house back to your preferred temperatures when you turn it back on because you now have to re heat everything the floors, the walls, the furniture and every thing else in the house before you feel comfortable again.
2006-12-21 23:04:50 · answer #4 · answered by crawler 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't turn it all the way off, but do turn it down at night or if people are gone during the day. The colder it gets in the house (from the temperature being lower on our thermostat), the more energy it takes to bring the temperature back up to a comfortable level. Remember, when the house cools off, it's not just the air that cools off, it's the walls and furniture as well, and their temperature needs to be brought back up for the air temperature to stay comfortable.
I would suggest no lower than 60F at night, and even during the day if no one is home, and maybe 68F when people are home will probably be the most economical range. It is more economical to wear sweaters in the winter months than turn the heat up.
One of the most economical ways to control your temperature is with a programable thermostat. That way you don't have to remember to keep turning it up or down.
2006-12-25 09:13:08 · answer #5 · answered by displacedyankee 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You will use less energy letting it cool down when you don't need it warmer. The heater does not use "more energy" returning it to 70F from 60F over an hours run time as it does maintaining 70F all the time.
The greater the difference of temp between inside your house and outside your house, the faster heat is lost. Heat is not lost when there is no difference, and the less difference there is, the less heat that is lost.
For some reason, this idea that it takes "more energy to heat it back up" than you saved by having it turned down is a popular, yet totally wrong idea.
An average set back to 60F at night and when you are gone, with an average temp outside of 20F will save you almost 20%.
Another poster used an aeroplane analogy...so I will too. If you leave your temp at 70F, the heat will be turning on and off all the time to maintain that temp. That is like that airplane landing and taking off over and over. Turning it down is like landing the plane for awhile, and letting it idle, then taking off again, hours later.
2006-12-21 23:38:39 · answer #6 · answered by roadlessgraveled 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is beleived the most efficient option is to keep the heating on at all times by running it through a main thermostat. (usually in the hall.) In being on constantly the boiler is only using fuel to warm 1 or 2 degrees rather than say 10 degrees everyday as turned off. The principle works much like an areoplane whereby take off / landing takes most fuel once up there little is used in comparison. To fully get the answer, for 1 quarter have heating on constantly then for the same quarter have heating not constantly on. See which bill the highest.
2006-12-21 22:59:57 · answer #7 · answered by A . Z . 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It all depends on what type of boiler/heating system you have. However, ANY heating system uses the most energy when it is heating from cold, keeping your house at a constant temperature is, in the long run, cheaper than turning it on and off.
If your house is particularly drafty or not well insulated the cost savings will not be much.
Hope this helps
2006-12-22 22:47:22 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I was always told that it was cheaper to leave it on in the daytime when your up and about and to turn it down at night when you go to bed.
2006-12-21 23:17:58 · answer #9 · answered by jrcctexas21 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Personally, I turn it down to 60 at night and never have it above 66 in the daytime.
2006-12-21 23:29:13 · answer #10 · answered by Neil B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've proved this to myself in more than one house - leave it on. It may depend on the property you're in, sure, but overall if the heating system just has to "top up" the temperature now and again it's cheaper - not to mention more environmentally friendly.
Experiment - see what works in your house.
2006-12-21 23:01:42 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋