Best Temperature For Your Programmable Thermostat In Winter For Iowans
November 9, 2021
Resetting your programmable thermostat is a necessary task to survive the harsh Iowa winters while also saving money on your heating bills. You can program your thermostat to vary temperatures depending on the time of day, or whether you’re in or out of your home for extended periods of time. This will help you save energy and money without losing any comfort this winter.
What Should I Set My Thermostat To In The Winter?
Programming your thermostat to vary temperatures throughout the day is an easy way to keep your house comfortable, your energy bills low, and your furnace from being overworked. We broke out the optimal temperatures based on the time of day or scenario you may need to account for:
Winter Thermostat Setting During Waking Hours
When at home and awake, the Department of Energy found that the optimum comfortable temperature range is 68 to 70 degrees. This range will easily help you save energy in the winter while still maintaining a comfortable indoor living environment.
Winter Thermostat Setting During Sleeping Hours
Save energy overnight by programming the thermostat to reduce the temperature to 62 to 66 degrees. If you prefer to sleep in cooler temperatures, set the reduction to begin one hour before the time you normally go to bed.
Winter Thermostat Setting When You’re Out Of The House
You can save up to 10% a year on heating and cooling costs by turning your thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours a day, according to the Department of Energy. During the work week, program the system to turn the heat down approximately 30 minutes before you or other occupants typically leave home for the day.
Winter Thermostat Setting When You Return Home
To maintain a comfortable indoor environment when you return home, program the system to turn the heat up to normal occupied temperature approximately 30 minutes before you typically arrive home for the day.
Other Things For Iowans To Consider When Implementing Your Ideal Thermostat Setting In Winter
There are several other factors to keep in mind when reprogramming your thermostat for the winter. These scenarios may not apply to all programmable thermostats, so it’s important to be aware of what settings your system includes.
Add Weekend Settings On Your Programmable Thermostat
If the thermostat offers separate time and temperature settings for weekends, set those times/temperatures to your preference. Consider the schedules of everyone in the household, and if there’s times during the weekend where the house is unoccupied for at least four hours, it makes sense to reduce the temperature.
Utilize Your Programmable Thermostat’s Vacation Setting
If you go out of town during the winter, utilize the thermostat’s “Vacation” option to continuously maintain indoor temperatures at a safe minimum and prevent damage such as frozen pipes. Remember to program the system to turn back on approximately one hour before you return home!
Change Your Programmable Thermostat’s Batteries
If your thermostat is battery-powered like most, change the battery once a year. If you didn’t change it when you reset the settings for the summer, change the battery now.
Update Your Settings To Heat Mode On Your Programmable Thermostat
It may seem obvious, but remember to set the thermostat to the “Heat” mode when it’s time to begin furnace operation for the heating season. You’d be surprised how often our certified HVAC technicians show up to a house to check on a broken furnace and it turns out it was still on “Cool” mode!
Still Asking Yourself, “What Should I Set My Thermostat To In The Winter?” Give The Team Of Certified HVAC Technicians At Lozier Heating & Cooling A Call!
If you have questions about resetting your programmable thermostat to maximize indoor comfort and lower heating costs this winter, contact the experts at Lozier! Give us a call us at (515) 267-1000, send a text to (515) 393-4262 or use our contact form to schedule an appointment for a technician to take a look at your system, and even get a free quote to update your HVAC system!