Daily Detox: Take it down a notch

Do you think you could tell ambient temperature within a degree or two? I for one cannot so 76 degrees could be 78 or even, dare I say, 80 before I would even think twice or reach for the thermostat. Your HVAC system is much more sensitive and each degree or two that you take off its heating or cooling burden adds up to savings, both energy and money.

For optimum energy efficiency, the US DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) program recommends 68F for heating and 78F for cooling during waking hours. They also tout the benefits of lowering heating or cooling demand by 10-15 degrees while you are sleeping or out of the home. If over an 8 hour period, this decrease in energy demand can save you 5-15% on your annual heating and cooling costs.

The best way to keep your home comfortable and energy efficient is to use a programmable thermostat. Fiddling with the thermostat wastes energy and money so let these smart little fixtures keep thermal comfort constant.

Read more:

• Take it up a notch at Ideal Bite
• Thermostats and Control Systems at EERE
• Programmable Thermostats at Energy STAR