The change in seasons calls for a change in how you manage your home’s internal climate. While your programmable thermostat’s summertime settings have kept your home cool without wasting energy, they’re not as effective at keeping your home warm while keeping heating costs at a minimum. Resetting the programmable thermostat for the winter can help your home remain comfortable while maximizing your energy usage.
Choosing the Best Settings
So what settings should you use as you reprogram your thermostat? Here are some basic guidelines you can follow:
- For the hours when you’re most likely to be up and about in your home, program your thermostat to maintain a temperature of 68 degrees.
- For the hours when you’re asleep, program a setback temperature that’s 7 to 10 degrees lower than your daytime temperature.
- You should also program a setback temperature for the hours when you’re most likely to be out of the house.
However, the above guidelines aren’t meant to be ironclad. Striking a balance between personal comfort and energy efficiency can be difficult during the winter. In the end, you should set your programmable thermostat so that it’s in line with your own comfort needs.
Indoor humidity can also play an important role in the comfort of your home. The drier winter air tends to lower perceived indoor temperatures, making a room feel colder than its actual temperature. Consider using a humidifier to maintain a relative humidity level of 30 to 40 percent throughout the winter months.
Other Tips
In addition to resetting the programmable thermostat, there are other things you can do to save energy and still maintain a comfortable environment:
- Set your thermostat so that it begins heating your home 30 minutes before you wake up in the morning and 30 minutes before you return home.
- Have your thermostat gradually lower your heating at least 60 minutes before you go to bed.
For more tips on resetting the programmable thermostat or if you need HVAC service for your Portland home, contact us at Roth Heating & Cooling today.
