When it comes to thermostat settings, everyone seems to have an opinion. If you run a Google search on the topic, you might come across 5-10 different recommendations. We want to help our customers save energy in the smartest way possible, so today we’re going to answer the question, “Where should I set my thermostat when I’m away from home?”

Where should I set my thermostat when I’m away from home?

  • Away for under 4 hours. If you know that you’re only going to be away from your home for a couple of hours, you probably won’t see much of a benefit from altering your thermostat settings. Any of the savings that you might gain from briefly using energy-efficient settings will likely be offset by the energy it takes to bring your home back to normal temperatures by the time you return.
  • Away for 4+ hours in a day. If you’re going to be away from home for more than 4 hours, it’s a good idea to adjust your thermostat by about 5 degrees higher in the summer or 5 degrees lower in the winter. These are good settings to use on the weekdays when your family is either at home or work. Similar to the point above, adjusting your thermostat by any more than 5 degrees in this amount of time can be offset by the energy it takes for your home to return to a normal level.
  • Away on vacation. If you’re going away on vacation, feel free to adjust your thermostat by about 10-15 degrees to conserve energy while you’re gone. There’s no sense in spending money on heating and cooling your home when nobody is there, and the energy it takes to bring your home back up to a normal setting will be offset by the savings you experienced during the days you were gone.

Use a programmable thermostat to simplify your settings

Adjusting your thermostat over and over to save energy while you’re away from home can seem like quite a chore. That’s why many homeowners choose to install programmable thermostats. A programmable thermostat allows you to input your typical weekly schedule, and your thermostat will automatically use energy-saving settings during the times of day that you’re normally gone.

For even more control over your thermostat settings, consider installing a WiFi thermostat like the Sensi that allows you to adjust your thermostat remotely from anywhere!

If you have any questions about where you should set your thermostat when you’re away from home, or if you’d like a cooling system serviced or installed, contact Jerry Kelly Heating & Air Conditioning, your St. Charles, MO, air conditioning contractor. We service the St. Louis area, including towns like Chesterfield, Clarkson Valley, and Clayton.

photo credit: Pete Morawski via photopin cc

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