How to Set Your Furnace for Maximum Comfort and Cost Savings
You can have it both ways. You can have a comfy, cozy home and also not spend a fortune in electric bills. Learn how to work with your home’s cooling and heating to save you money with a few practical tips. Furnace repair or a new furnace installation is often a last resort.
Be the Master of Your Thermostat
Your electric costs are dominated by your heating and cooling use. Gaining strategic control over your thermostat is the first step in lowering your bill during all seasons.
Heating
- Temperature setback refers to turning the thermostat down 7-10 degrees below the normal level for 6 to 10 hours per day. The longer you can keep the temperature down, the more you save. The ideal winter home temperature is 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn the thermostat down at night and while you are at work. Only use the higher setting when you are at home and awake.
- Have a smart thermostat installed. Program it to raise the temp to optimal an hour before you awaken. Make sure it lowers the temperature again once you leave for the day raises it an hour before you return home. Start the cycle again by turning it down before bed.
Cooling
- Set the AC to 70 degrees for comfortable, cool sleeping on warm nights. Set the temperature to 78 degrees as you are leaving the house for the day, and set it to cool down again to 74 degrees just before you get home.
Other Ways to Control the Temperature
Support your furnace and AC with little or no additional cost by attending to the following:
Heating
- Let the sunshine in! Open the drapes and blinds as you leave the house for the day. A sunny exposure can heat up your home significantly. Let the afternoon sun do much of the work heating your home before you return, taking some of the pressure off your furnace.
- Wrap windows and unused doors with sealing plastic to avoid heat loss.
Cooling
- Use ceiling fans. They use less electricity and can make a person feel four degrees cooler. Remember, though, fans do not lower the room temperature; they move air around a person’s body, causing sweat to evaporate, drawing body heat away with it. Fans do nothing for an empty room, so turn them off when you leave.
- On cooler nights, when the AC isn’t needed, open the windows. Shut them again in the morning, trapping the cool air. Pull the drapes and blinds closed to keep the sun out while you are gone.
Let the HVAC installation pros at Sure-Fire put a smart thermostat in your home, saving you money on electricity bills, and paying for itself in a short time. Don’t wait for your savings. Call the HVAC contractors at Sure-Fire for your appointment today.
