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HOW
TO KEEP YOUR HOUSE COOL AND STILL SAVE MONEY
 Your
home should be comfortable, especially during the warm summer months. But if you are like most homeowners, you are
probably concerned about controlling
your energy usage and costs.
One
simple solution to managing your heating and cooling system is to adjust your thermostat settings,
according to your habits and preferences.
During
warm or hot summer months, it’s generally recommended that you set your home's
cooling system to 76 degrees Fahrenheit when you are home. If you will be out
of the house for six or more hours, consider raising the setting so the cooling
system only comes on if the temperature tops 88 degrees Fahrenheit. Some
experts estimate that for every
degree you set your thermostat over 78 degrees in the summer, you could save approximately six to eight percent
off your home energy bill, per degree.
So,
keeping your home's temperature just a bit higher and using the best settings
for spring and summer can ultimately help save you money.
Another money-saving option is to install a
programmable thermostat
in your home. This will allow you to run
a scheduled heating and cooling program without having to remember to manually
change your settings throughout the day. Most programmable thermostats are able
to automatically adjust the temperature
in your home up to six or more times per day. You can also manually
override the automatic settings if you need to at any time without interrupting
the daily or weekly programming.
In
the summer months, raising your home's cooling temperature to over 76-78
degrees Fahrenheit for eight hours per day — a typical work day — can
make a significant difference in your energy bills.
Here
are a few tips and benefits of a programmable thermostat from Energy Star:
- Install your
thermostat away from heating or
cooling registers, appliances, lighting, doorways, fireplaces, skylights and windows and areas that
receive
- direct sunlight or drafts. Interior walls are best. Keep the thermostat set at energy-saving temperatures for long
periods of time,
- such as during the day when no one is home and at bedtime. Set the "hold” button at a constant energy-saving
temperature when going away for the weekend or on
vacation.
- Change your
batteries each year if your programmable thermostat runs on
batteries. Some units will indicate when batteries must be changed.
Ultimately,
your home's comfort level is determined by who lives within the home. When considering
your settings, ask yourself: "What
indoor temperature will provide both personal comfort for my family and cost efficiency?" You’ll
probably have to play around with your settings and survey your family members
to gauge their response. After all, some
people like a home that is warm and some prefer a cooler environment. If you
haven't been consciously managing your temperature settings up to now, you
might be surprised how changing your settings just a little up or down will
provide you with the same comfort you have previously enjoyed in your home.
Regardless
of your preference, adjusting your
thermostat — either manually or with a programmable thermostat
— will ultimately help you save
money.
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