What Should Your Thermostat Be Set at in Summer and Winter?

Although many homeowners understand that programmable thermostats have the ability to promote energy savings, many struggle with understanding how to make the best use of them. At what temperature should your thermostat be set while you’re home, away or sleeping during the summer or winter months? This simple guide to properly using your thermostat will help you to maximize your savings throughout the year.

Setting your thermostat during the summer

Generally, our bodies are most comfortable when the air inside of our home is within a degree or two of a steady 75 degrees F during the hot, summer months. This temperature setting, however, is only necessary when your house is occupied during waking hours. If you’re gone for long periods throughout the day, you can set the temperature several degrees higher. A few degrees higher while you’re sleeping is also a good energy-saving practice. Doing this for eight-hour intervals will significantly scale back your cooling costs. Don’t go overboard on setting high temperatures, however, since an A/C – especially an undersized one – will struggle to return to your comfort level if the air temperature gets too warm.

Setting your thermostat during the winter

When you’re awake and at home during the colder months of the year, your furnace will keep you comfortably warm at about 68 degrees. Just as during the summer, you can save money on your heating bills by lowering your thermostat a few degrees at eight-hour intervals – either while you’re at work or are asleep. With our mild winters, however, you can sometimes get away without using the furnace at all.

Setting your thermostat when you’re away

What should your thermostat be set at when you’re away for a weekend or on vacation? Although you may think you should shut your system off completely, you should actually make use of your hold/permanent/vacation feature to set your thermostat at a constant temperature that’s several degrees higher than normal during summer trips, and several degrees lower on winter getaways. Turning your system completely off can result in high humidity levels and mold growth, as your home’s interior temperature will be uncontrolled, and air will not circulate. Also, it’s good security to have your outdoor condensing unit kicking on occasionally to make it appear someone’s at home.

So, what should your thermostat be set at? For a detailed energy assessment of your home that includes recommendations for thermostat use, please contact us at Davis Air Conditioning & Heating. We provide HVAC Services in Greater Houston and the surrounding area.