Many people in Houston have questions and concerns when it comes to their thermostat questions. You may be unsure of what average temperature settings are and how to maintain a an electricity bill that does not completely destroy your budget.
So at what temperature should you set your thermostat?
-Normal cooling settings in the spring and summer are somewhere between 75 degrees to 80 degrees. While many people with older units or unserviced units will need to go lower in order to get their home to feel cool.
-Normal heating settings in the fall and winter are somewhere between 68 degrees to 72 degrees. If your unit is old or does not have well established routes for the air to flow through you may find this is not warm enough to get the home comfortable.
Whenever you are looking to pinch pennies and stay within a budget, you should consistently set your thermostat to the highest possible temperature that is comfortable for you in the summer, and the lowest temperature you are comfortable with during the winter. Whenever you choose to do this you will maximize your energy savings. This is because on average every 1 degree of temperature change is equal to about 10% energy savings. So as an example, whenever you change your thermostat setting from 75 degrees to 76 degrees in the summer, this could result in saving you about 10% on your cooling costs.
Should I turn my thermostat up during the summer and down during the winter while I am away for the day?
Yes, adjusting your thermostat while you are away is a great way to conserve money. However, the Department of Energy suggests a change of no more than 3 degrees either direction if you want to maximize potential energy savings. Maintaining this 3 degree maximum change is very important because if you allow your home to get warmer/colder than this, it will result in your air conditioning or heating unit having to work extra hard to return your home back to the proper comfortable temperature when you get home. This period of extra hard work for the unit will completely eliminate all the cost you saved throughout the day and will actually now cost you more overall. This will reflect negatively on your bill and will give you less time in a comfortable space. This is especially true in the hot Texas summer months. If you were to turn your air conditioner completely off while you were at work and then the temperature in your home rises 5 degrees , when you finally return back to your home and crank down the thermostat your unit will now have to work very hard to remove all the extra heat in the home, and it has to do it during the hottest time of the day. This results in huge energy usage and cost.
What should I leave my thermostat set at if I am away for an extended time, such as on vacation?
Whenever you go out of town for more than a few days at a time, it is recommend to adjust your temperature no more than 5 degrees from your normal setting. Whenever you adjust it more than 5 degrees this can cause damage to the contents of the home, especially in the summer when we are dealing with extremely hot temperatures. Wood floors, cabinets, pets, electronics, etc. are all items that are sensitive to large temperature changes.
Autumn Mechanical proudly serves the Greater Houston area, including Atascocita, Briarpark, Champion Forest, Conroe, Klein, Magnolia, Midtown, Oak Ridge North, Sugar Land, Cypress, Pearland, The West University Place, The Heights, Spring, Tomball, Willowbrook, Houston, Spring Branch and The Woodlands. Don’t hesitate, give us a call today to find out what we can do for your home or business.
Autumn Mechanical
18812 Tomato St.
Spring, TX 77379
(713) 864-8368
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