Your clocks aren’t the only things that need to change with daylight saving time. Your programmable thermostat is also affected by the time change. Re-setting your thermostat at the right time helps ensure you get through Dayton’s cool fall weather in perfect comfort.
Consider the Seasonal Changes
Because daylight saving time is meant to compensate for the increasingly shorter days, it coincides with the seasonal change. If you haven’t yet switched your system from cooling to heating, now’s a good time to do so. Next, consider the time when you start to feel chilly in the evenings. If you’ve been coming back to a cold house at the end of the day, program your thermostat to start heating around an hour before you usually arrive.
Fall daylight saving time tends to happen along with the start of school activities such as sports and band practice. If your kids are involved in extracurriculars that will keep them out later, your heating schedule should reflect this. You’ll save energy by not fully heating your house until someone is home.
Optimal Fall Temperatures
While the days are still warm, it’s more efficient to keep your heat off entirely during the day. It costs less to heat up a cold house than to maintain a constant temperature all day.
Once you need heat regularly, program your thermostat for a temperature between 65 and 72 degrees for when you’re home and awake. For the times when you’re away or in bed asleep, choose a temperature between 58 and 62 degrees. Every degree you lower your thermostat setting for an 8-hour period can save you 1 to 3 percent on your heating costs.
To balance comfort and savings, start on the warmer end of the recommended ranges and reduce the temperature a degree or two every month as you acclimate to the weather.
Adjusting your thermostat for daylight saving time is a simple way to make sure you and your family stay comfortable as the chilly fall weather moves in. For more comfort solutions, follow us on Facebook and never miss one of our blogs.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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