It’s Called Currency

As the days grow colder in the Northern Hemisphere, we often find ourselves with higher utility bills due to the need to heat our homes and keep the lights on longer. One simple way to save on those bills is to turn down the heat. According to Energy Star, “On average, for every degree you set back your thermostat, you can save 3% on your energy bill.”

You can adjust your thermostat a degree a day and probably not notice any difference. If you do find yourself chilled, put on a sweater or curl up under a blanket rather than heating your entire home. We use the time-honored method of “more blankets on the bed” to keep us toasty while we sleep, and since I love to crochet, we’ve got plenty of them. You can also shut the vents in unused rooms to help direct more of the heat into the room you’re actually in.

You may also want to consider investing in a programmable thermostat for even more savings. Use it to turn down the heat while you sleep and are gone during the day, and it can warm things back up before you rise in the morning or return for the night. That’s like putting your saving on autopilot.

If you’ll be gone for a few days, turn it down even more. You can set it at 55 degrees and the pipes will be fine no matter how cold it gets outside. Turn it back up when you return and by the time you’re done unloading the car and unpacking, your home will be comfortably warm again.

With our non-programmable thermostat, we set it at 68 in the cool months and 78 when it’s warm. When everyone else is complaining about how costly heating and cooling are, we just smile and enjoy the fact that our bill rarely spikes beyond what we’ve budgeted for the month. We also don’t suffer from the shock of temperature changes the way we used to because the air in our house is closer to the outside temperature. I think I read somewhere that there’s a health benefit to be had with this as well. I know I seem to get sick less than I used to, but that may just be coincidence.

In truth, a few degrees can make a big difference. Using the EnergyStar percentage, turning your thermostat from 75 to 70 will result in a 15% savings on your heating bills. If your utilities have raised their rates this year, you may need that savings just to keep your monthly expenses under control.

Anyone know of a good model of programmable thermostat? I think we’ll be shopping for one this winter.

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