“General Thermostat Operation You can easily save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to 68°F while you're awake and setting it lower while you're asleep or away from home. By turning your thermostat back 10°–15° for 8 hours, you can save about 5%–15% a year on your heating bill—a savings of as much as 1% for each degree if the setback period is eight hours long. The percentage of savings from setback is greater for buildings in milder climates than for those in more severe climates. In the summer, you can follow the same strategy with central air conditioning, too, by keeping your house warmer than normal when you are away, and lowering the thermostat setting to 78°F (26°C) only when you are at home and need cooling. Although thermostats can be adjusted manually, programmable thermostats will avoid any discomfort by returning temperatures to normal as you wake or return home. A common misconception associated with thermostats is that a furnace works harder than normal to warm the space back to a comfortable temperature after the thermostat has been set back, resulting in little or no savings. This misconception has been dispelled by years of research and numerous studies. The fuel required to reheat a building to a comfortable temperature is roughly equal to the fuel saved as the building drops to the lower temperature. You save fuel between the time that the temperature stabilizes at the lower level and the next time heat is needed. So, the longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more energy you save.”–source:(http://hes.lbl.gov/hes/makingithappen/tips.html under the “supporting equipment” titled “Thermostats and Controls” Last Access 6/9/08) In other words, if you set the thermostat to turn on the air conditioner at 78 degrees and allow the thermostat to determine when to shut off or on (keeping the house’s temperature at (or around) 78 degrees) you will be able to save money. A unit works hardest when it is constantly being turned off and on or forced to try and cool the home when it is already hot inside. If the unit is left on, and left to run at a comfortable temperature, it isn’t going to work at capacity. It’s easier to keep a cooler home cool than to cool a warm home down.
So, in summer keep your thermostat at 78˚ when you are home, and set to 83˚s when you are away. These pre-sets on the thermostat are agreed to by energy star to provide the customer with as much comfort and as much savings as possible.
This is a link to a PDF that you can download that explains various “Flex” facts that are more ways homeowners can save money. http://www.fypower.org/pdf/challenge_cheatsheet0806.pdf
“Q: During the summer, how much can you
save on your electrical bill for every degree
you set your thermostat above 72 degrees?
A: 1-3% per degree”
According to their research (at Flex Your Power.org) there is a savings of 1-3% per each degree you set your thermostat over 72. So if you are setting your thermostat to the recommended 78 degrees that’s at minimum of 6% savings, but it could be up to 18% depending on where you live and what other energy you are using.
Another article on home thermostats can be found in the online magazine Home Energy. “Who Controls Your Thermostat” is a look at the savings possible with current programmable thermostats, but also a look into what may be the future for home air conditioning units. The link: http://www.homeenergy.org/blog.php?id=30&blog_title=Who_controls_your_thermostat will take you to a blog set up as part of their magazines that lays out the pros and cons of this new technology.
More information can be found on their webpage http://www.homeenergy.org/
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