Should You Use Your Thermostat Differently in Colder Months?
Yes, as the seasons change, so should how you use your thermostat. Most of us adjust our thermostats to the temperature we want our home to be without much thought. However, if you have a programmable or smart thermostat, you may miss out on some important features that can make your home more comfortable during the fall and winter. They may even save you some money.
Keep reading to learn how to utilize your programmable or smart thermostat this autumn and winter.
Tip #1: Create a Schedule that Reflects Your Family’s Needs
If you have a programmable thermostat or one that allows you to set a daily schedule, we encourage you to familiarize yourself with this feature. As the weather changes and gets cooler, you need your home to stay at a comfortable temperature. Not only is this important when it comes to your comfort, but if you have pets or children, it can be a safety issue. However, you don’t want your heater running all day long. This dries out the air in your home, makes it stuff, and can decrease your indoor air quality.
The scheduling feature on programmable and smart thermostats allows you to set up a heating schedule that keeps you comfortable and helps you stop wasting energy heating an empty home.
Look at your family’s heating needs and utilize the schedule feature to set your thermostat to keep your home at a comfortable temperature when you’re at home, and then drop it down a bit when you’re gone and don’t need the heat. Similarly, it is also recommended that you drop the heat down a bit at night as most people sleep better when it’s a little cooler and when you have all your blankets and bedding keeping you warm.
Good times to schedule your thermostat to drop down:
- When you’re at work
- When the kids are at school
- At night, when you’re sleeping
Tip #2: Set Your Thermostat to 65° at Night & 68° During the Day
So, you know that scheduling can help you seamlessly manage your heating day-to-day, but what temperatures should you be setting? In most cases, keeping your home cooler in the fall and winter than you would set the AC to in the summer months is the way to go. Just as we don’t usually need the AC set below 72° to feel relief from the summer heat, you rarely need your heater set above 68° to feel comfortable in the winter.
At night, you can set your thermostat even lower. 65° is often a good temperature for most people, but some may even find as low as 60° comfortable. As previously mentioned, many people get better, more restful sleep when their rooms are set at cooler temperatures. Furthermore, with warm pajamas, flannel sheets, and cozy duvets, setting your thermostat any higher can lead to feeling stuffy and too hot.
Before turning your heat below 68°, assess your and your family’s needs. For example, families with infants, small children, or elderly family members may need to keep their heaters up higher as these age groups have a harder time regulating their body temperatures.
If you are going out of town and do not have any pets at home, we recommend dropping the temperature on your thermostat down to 55°.
Tip #3: Upgrade to a Smart Thermostat with Intuitive Features
If your current thermostat is very basic and does not have programmable or schedule features, or if the ones it does have are very limited, we recommend upgrading to a smart thermostat that not only has scheduling features and remote operation capabilities but one that also incorporates intuitive scheduling and learning. These more advanced smart thermostats can help you keep your home comfortable as autumn transitions into winter without you having to lift a finger.
Intuitive thermostats learn your and your family’s habits, such as when you are regularly away from home, and develop an automated schedule to reflect those habits. They also learn when you make adjustments and incorporate your preferences into their automatic schedule. For example, an intuitive smart thermostat will “notice” if you regularly turn the heater daily at 10 am. It will then start turning the heater on to your preferred temperature at this time.
Want more thermostat tips? Review these blog posts:
- Do I Need a Programmable Thermostat
- Can a Smart Thermostat Save You Money This Winter?
- How to Optimize Your Thermostat for a Healthy Household
Need help with your thermostat or with installing a new one? Send Premier Indoor Comfort Systems a message to schedule an appointment with one of our thermostat specialists. We are here to answer all your questions and to help you get the most out of your heating system this winter.