Going On Vacation? Program Your Thermostat Before You Head Out, And You'll Have More Money To Spend On Your Getaway

There’s no need for your home to waste energy because you’re out of town. With a programmable thermostat, you can set an energy savings temperature program for a week or more. All the money you save will come in handy when you’re on vacation!

If you lower the settings on your thermostat at night, when everyone is asleep, or when the house is empty during the day, you’re saving energy without reducing comfort. Try putting in those settings for the entire time you’re out of town, or even going a few degrees further, depending on whether you’re leaving pets or plants in the house.

How much should you adjust your settings while away from home?

During the air conditioning season, try for 80 degrees. While this temperature is warm, it shouldn’t cause any problems.

During the heating season, 60 degrees is a low, but safe setting.

It’s also a good idea to check out the upcoming weather forecast for the time you’ll be out of town. You wouldn’t want to set your temperature too far ahead if the meteorologist is predicting a massive wave of heat and humidity. Too much indoor humidity could lead to peeling paint and wallpaper, water stains, and even mold infestation. Mold only needs 24 hours and a moist environment in which to grow.

If you go out of town during a frigid weather forecast in winter, you’ll want to keep your home warm enough to prevent frozen pipes.

How much could you save?

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a good rule of thumb is that if you set your thermostat ahead for a minimum of eight hours, you could save 1 percent for every degree you set it ahead. However, each home is different. To get an idea, keep track of your utility payments month to month, and then adjust your thermostat several degrees. Note any changes in your energy use that show up on your next bills.

For more information on how you can save energy and increase your comfort with a programmable thermostat, call Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal. We’re happy to serve Northwest Arkansas.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Paschal Heating, Air & Geothermal services Northwest Arkansas. To get started, check out our website.