Now that spring has sprung and the hot months of summer are just around the corner, lets look at how you can save energy by utilizing your thermostat properly.

Maybe you’ve heard this urban myth…
Your air conditioner works harder than usual to cool your home to a comfortable temperature, once your home has warmed up during the day when you’re gone. So you need to run the air conditioner during the day, even if your not a home. This is not true!  Your house will lose it’s cool to the hot outdoor environment. Warmer inside temperatures will slow the cold air loss. So by keeping your home at a warmer daytime temperature, while you’re at work, you’ll save energy and money. Your air conditioner works the same to chill the air whether it has to chill the air 10° or 3°. It may cycle on and off more often, but that doesn’t mean it’s working harder. Set your programmable thermostat to start the air conditioning 30 to 45 minutes before you’re scheduled to arrive home. Your home will be nice and cool for you. By keeping your house warmer than normal when you’re not home, and lowering the thermostat setting to 78°F when you are at home, you can save up to 15% a year on your cooling bill.

Same thing for a furnace. During the cold winter months, your house is always losing heat to the outside environment. Cooler interior temperatures slow  heat loss. You save energy by keeping your home at this cooler temperature while you’re asleep or away during the day. Just set your programmable thermostat to start warming the house 30 minutes before you wake up or return home. Then your house will be nice and toasty for you. By turning back your thermostat to 68°F when you’re awake and setting it even lower while you’re asleep or out of the house, you can save up to 15% a year on your heating bill.

You can obtain a savings of as much as 1% for each degree, if the setback period is eight hours long.

During the month of April, John Stevenson Heating and Air Conditioning is offering $50 off any new thermostat you have installed. Call to schedule your appointment at (760) 452-0702.