Lower Your Thermostat

Quick Facts Affordability Cost Savings CO2 Reduction		One simple way to minimize wasted energy and reduce heating costs is to heat your home strategically, turning down the thermostat while you are out or overnight. Another option is to pull on a sweater and some cozy slippers and keep the thermostat setting a little lower all the time. Affordability Turning down the heat is a simple act that will save energy from the moment you start. Cost savings Turning the heat down by just two degrees can reduce your home heating costs by 5%. Health & comfort You don’t have to make your house uncomfortably cold to have it save energy. If you do feel cold, keep cozy in a sweater and slippers. Environmental considerations Leaving your heat on all day while you are out of the house is similar to leaving your car running all night to have it warm for the morning. Most houses will retain a good percentage of their heat during the day and warming them back up again won’t take long. If you can’t tolerate coming home to a cooler house, consider a programmable thermostat you can set to turn the heat on before you arrive.

What you need to know

• Whether you live in a house, condo or apartment, your home will hold most of its heat all day while you are out. You can turn the heat down when you go out, then up again when you return and it will quickly return to the temperature it was when you left.
• Wearing slippers and a sweater indoors in the winter is an easy and cozy way to save money, energy and the planet.
• Drafts in your home will make it feel colder than it is, but turning up the heat won’t help. Check out our Draft Proof Your Home tip for more information.
• If you have trouble remembering to turn down the thermostat when you go out or go to bed, consider getting a programmable thermostat to do the work for you. 

FAQ

If the heat is turned down at night, will it cost more to reheat the home in the morning?
No. In fact, lowering your home temperature at night and when you’re out of the house during the day could save 5% or more of your home heating costs.

Will turning the heat up a few degrees hotter get the furnace to work faster?
No. A furnace works at the same speed regardless of the temperature setting. Turning up the temperature above the needed setting keeps the furnace running and wastes energy.

Our house is drafty. Can we turn the heat higher to warm it up?
Turning the heat higher can actually make a draft worse as the temperature difference between inside and out increases. Reach for the caulking gun, not the thermostat. See Draft Proof Your Home for more information.