2007-10-04 06:34:09 · 7 answers · asked by GriswoldCT 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Other - Home & Garden
For air conditioning it is best to leave it at the same temperature all day.
For heating it depends on the type of heating. For a heat pump, it is best to leave it at the same setting all day. For gas and electric heat you can save some money by turning it down some. You probably don't want to turn it all the way off though.
The people that say your heater needs to work "harder" to warm up a cold house fail to realize that most heaters (except heat pumps) are either on or off. There is no working harder or less hard. If the house is cold though you may overcompensate when turning the temp up.
If your house is well-insulated it probably won't be a big difference either way.
2007-10-04 07:21:57 · answer #1 · answered by Brian A 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do yourself a huge favor and buy a programmable thermostat. especially if your schedule is predictable. A decent one will have weekend and week day settings. mine is set to warm uo 1/2 hour before my alarm goes off m-f And then turn down 1/2 after i'm up (and showered and dressed) then 1/2 before i get home it comes back on and so on and so forth the cost is about 35 bucks and will save you alot more than that just in the times you forget to set it. PS they also have an override so you can set a new temp but then returns to your old program on the next setting. I leave mine a little low and wear a sweat shirt. if I get cold I just turn it up for that period
2007-10-04 08:47:56 · answer #2 · answered by Jon F 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Leave your thermostat at a comfortable temp say like at 78.
If you wait till you get home, it takes more enegry to cool or heat the house to the temp you prefer.
We set our to 78 and our electric bill stays about the same all year round. Even in the hot summer. We don't have the high bills that my neighbors have because the air doesn't run all night long.
2007-10-04 06:40:11 · answer #3 · answered by doc_jade 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Change the setting by 4 degrees. If your home is large, it will take a lot of energy to get the temp where you want it if the unit is turned off.
2007-10-04 07:44:24 · answer #4 · answered by sensible_man 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I use to always turn mine off when I went to work but my lightbill was almost $400.00 a month. I went to the electric company and told them I thought there was a problem with their meter. My house is brand new and very energy efficient. She asked how did I set my thermostat. I usually sat it around 72 degrees when I did use it and had it off when I was not at home. She said nooooo. You have to set it at 68 degrees and leave it. Even when you are gone. She also told me to use my dishwasher instead of hand washing dished. She says it is cheaper. So I tried what she said and a month later my lightbill went from almost $400.00 down to $168.00. The only thing that I changed is what she told me to change. I have never paid a high lightbill since. So there you have it. Not a guess, but actual fact. Good Luck.
2007-10-04 06:53:08 · answer #5 · answered by bunnicula 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
get a programmable thermostat, don't set it to change more than 5 degrees at a time. use an energy star model
check this out: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=thermostats.pr_thermostats
2007-10-04 07:53:46 · answer #6 · answered by Emily 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's best to leave it at whatever temperature is comfortable for you all the time.
2007-10-04 06:43:20 · answer #7 · answered by Young 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋