How to Save 20% on Your Heating and Cooling Costs

In their October issue, Consumer Reports quotes the following:

20% -- That's how much you can cut your heating and cooling bills per year simply by adjusting thermostat temperatures 5 to 10 degrees at night and when you're out.

This is why you'll almost always see "get a programmable thermostat" as a suggestion in any piece on how to save money heating and cooling. It's hard to beat a 20% savings!!!!

We do these as well as keep temperatures reasonable even when we are home. A summary:

• When we're gone on vacation, we set the temp really low in the winter and really high in the summer -- no need to heat/cool the house that much if we're not there (we have a "vacation" setting that makes doing this very easy).

• When we are there, our programmable thermostat is set to lower the temp at night significantly in the winter as well as raise the temp during the day in the summer. This keeps the system from running much less than if we set it for 72 degrees no matter what time of day it was.

• We keep the house at a temperature below "normal". In the summer, our thermostat is set for 76 degrees for most of the day while in the winter it's set for 68 degrees -- even when where at home. We use fans in the summer and put on extra clothes in the winter (if needed) to make it more comfortable.

I'm not sure how much money combining all of these tips has saved us, but if you use CR's estimates, it's a pretty good amount over the years.

How about you? Do you use a programmable thermostat?

Comments

[MC]

But I already have a programmable thermostat & do all these things!

:( No additional money saving for me!

[SAHM]

Not sure how much it saves us because we installed the programmable thermostats when we bought our house. But, considering we live in an older house that is much larger than our former house, and the base utility costs are higher in our new house, we must be saving since our bills are about the same.

Now if we could just get all of those single pane inefficient windows replaced....

[Josh Stein]

I like it cold. If I'm going to make my air conditioning useless by setting it at "Grandma" temperatures in the summer, I'm just going to save money and take the damn system out.

This philosophy does save money in the winter, though.

[JeffinWesternWa]

I set at 65'f in winter days when home (60'f when out)and 80'f in summer (85'f when not home), I'll use low speed ceiling fan(s), sucking "upward" to assist in the summer and an efficient gas fireplacce that helps main living area in winter evenings, I'm in the far north of US and heat/hot water w/ natural gas, last year I heated for under $800!!! My electric bill averages about $1 a day (typical is $28-32 a month) for annual use too. I'm that millionaire next door (multi actually) but, can't see wasting $$ on energy...too many folks don't realize how hot/cold the rest of the world is in their 72'f winter/summer homes. My car gets 27-31 mpg in real world driving. did you know in Europe A/c is rare and heat is usually only in living/kitchen areas! Put on a sweatshirt warm socks in the winter and use a fan/dress down in the summer people! Everyone could save at least 10% IMHO and with some minor home improvements/habits even MUCH more on energy use!

[Charlotte Financial]

I was not caring these small things before but after economic crisis, I think things should change now.

[Lurker Carl]

I'd like to see proof of the 20% savings of using a programmable thermostat. There is never any scientific study cited to back up those savings, just some quote from a government source. I'd like to know how that number was determined, I certainly can not use my home as an example because the heating and cooling requirements from year to year tend to be quite different.

[chynalemay]

In additon to the poster above, my t stat #'s are the same... w/ also heat 60'f at night to sleep (use a second comforter saves $$ and you sleep MUCH better at 60'f!. I Also, don't have the fridge/freezer on "ice" cold, just "cold" and often only dry my clothes in my drayer to "just dry" not scorching hot! I also have an extra room w/heat/ac vent/door closed and don't heat a second bath nor closets! IT works JeffinWesternWA, thanx! clean filtrs and vents often...

[Sarah]

We don't have a programmable thermostat, but with a good down comforter I find that I don't need the heat on at all in my room at night unless it gets bitterly, bitterly cold. I just turn it off and crawl under the covers. Cozy!

[Paula]

We got a rebate with our programmable thermostat and since we bought a fixer-upper we have taken advantage of the energy savings programs since we had to fix or replace items in the house. We are frugal with our settings but comfortable. Since I work from home, the computer is on all day and we do have a big screen tv and one teenage daughter who likes long showers. For my 1300+ sq. ft. house my gas and electric bill run between 10 - 45 dollars a month year round.

I do live in CA, which helps but I know that my neighbors who live in similar houses but without the upgrades, well their bills run 10 to 20 times mine.

[Colin]

In summer, we set it to 82F when we're home, and 89F when we're not. We still get $200 utility bills, but it could be worse.

When we visit my wife's family, they have it set to 72F year round. It strikes me as funny. It's 73F and beautiful outside, and their A/C is working hard to bring it down to 72 inside!

[suzie]

We do not have air conditioning so i guess we already save a lot there! Heat is 67 during the day, and 55 at night in New England. Line dry just about everything and we are replacing our windows one at a time this year as we get the money. I do not have any problem paying for what we need (or want) but the waste drives me crazy.

[Jenny]

We were persuaded to buy an expensive one when our old non-programmable died, but now regret the huge expense. We work crazy days, hours and shifts, so we need to manually keep adjusting our thermostat anyway.

[DCS]

I don't because I never change mine. I set heat at about 60/62 in the winter and A/C at about 78/80 in the summer (only if it's 85-90+F outside) and leave it there. I then adjust clothing or use blankets/fans to tweak comfort levels. A programmable would never pay for itself in my house. I might consider it if I needed to replace the current thermostat, but what can go wrong with the basic, round Honeywells? Not much.

[basicmoneytips]

The general rule of thumb for thermostats, including programmable thermostats is to know how well your house is insulated. If you have a well insulated house, you should not worry with adjusting your thermostat as much. If you are poorly insulted, crank it down at night or when you are not there.

[Dave Farquhar]

I put a programmable thermostat in my house in 2003. I had a conventional thermostat for about a year before that. The savings was significant. I haven't had a $200 utility bill in any month since. It's unusual, even in the summer, for my electric bill to climb very far north of $100. And I live in St. Louis, which isn't exactly known for its mild summers.

If you have a newer house that's really well insulated and has efficient windows, sure, your savings will be less. But programmable thermostats aren't expensive anymore. A basic model costs less than $30 now. It could pay for itself in a couple of months, or even less.

[Mike Hunt]

If you live in a very hot or very cold climate the size of your abode really matters.

Smaller places will have a much lower heating & cooling bill.

In the condo we have in Bangkok electricity is about $70 per month, water is $3 per month and there is no heating costs outside this, year round. Most of the electricity goes to run the A/C plus hot water heater and appliances.

-Mike

[Crystal]

We live in Houston, TX and run the A/C 7-9 months a year. We set the programmable thermostat at around 66F in the winter and 76F in the summer at times we'd be at home and 60F in the winter and 80F in the summer when we're not.

Our electricity bills are always between $75-$180 (normally $135-$150). I also think that double-paned windows help a bunch.