Manage Your Thermostat

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		One simple way to minimize wasted energy and reduce heating costs is to pull on a sweater and some cozy slippers and turn down your thermostat setting. Another way is to heat your home strategically, turning down the thermostat while you are out or overnight. You can do this yourself, or you can get a programmable thermostat to automatically regulate the temperature to preset levels at different times of the day. Affordability Turning down the heat is a simple act that will save energy from the moment you start. Programmable thermostats are inexpensive, priced between $25 and $100, and can pay for themselves in a matter of months. Note that the quality varies widely among brands. Unfortunately there is no ENERGY STAR® program for them yet, so the best bet is to stick with well known brand names. Cost savings Turning the heat down by just two degrees can reduce your home heating costs by 5%. If you program your thermostat to set back the temperature by five degrees for eight hours of every night, you will save approximately 10% on your heating bill. If you also set back the temperature while you are away from home in the day, you'll see even bigger savings. Health & comfort Programmable thermostats work well for people who don't like to come home to a cool house. You can set them to follow your regular schedule, so they turn off when you are out and turn back on before you arrive home. You can also set them to stay off when you are going to be out of town, but come back on before you return. 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. With a programmable thermostat you can have the heat turn on before you arrive. On top of that, a programmable thermostat won't forget to turn down the heat when you leave the house, and it's a great deterrent to household members who rush to the thermostat every time they get a chill.

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 a simple and snug 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 Draftproof Your Home for more information.
• If you have trouble remembering to turn down the thermostat when you go out or go to bed, get a programmable thermostat to do the work for you.
• Note that most programmable thermostats these days are "smart," meaning they will keep track of how long it took to heat a room to the set temperature. If it took 30 minutes the day before, the thermostat will come on 30 minutes ahead of time the next day.
• Even with a shifting schedule, a programmable thermostat can work for you. The warm temperature window you set might be wider, but for the small, one-time investment, it can effectively save money and energy.
• You'll never have to worry about forgetting to turn the thermostat down at night or when you leave the house.
• You can use your programmable thermostat for summer cooling energy savings. Visit our Home Cooling Green Guide for more information on cooling efficiency.
• Note that lowering the thermostat setting by four degrees or more can make a room more humid. Keep this in mind if your home has problems with mould or condensation around the windows. For more information on controlling moisture in your home, check out our Upgrade Your Ventilation tip.
• Using a ceiling fan can affect indoor air temperature by up to 10%, and it can help keep your home cooler in summer. For more information, read Install a Ceiling Fan in our Home Cooling Guide.

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.

Are programmable thermostats difficult to use?
They don't have to be. Look for one that works in a way that is intuitive for you – and one that has the instructions in the front panel, where they are always easy to find. If you have a fairly regular schedule, you will not need to reprogram the thermostat very often.

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. Read Draft Proof Your Home for more information.