Setting the Thermostat for a Winter Vacation To figure out the perfect thermostat setting when taking a trip in the winter, implement the same means proposed above, but backward—that is, change the temperature 5 to 10 degrees colder than you normally do throughout the day without slipping below 60 degrees.
Whether you plan to leave for a vacation or for the season, most heating and cooling professionals recommend setting the thermostat to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature will reduce your heating costs and minimize the risk for hazards such as frozen or burst pipes and flooding.
Since you won't be home to enjoy a comfortable indoor temperature (most homes set their thermostats between 65°–75° during the winter), there's no sense in making your heating system work hard to maintain that comfort level. Instead, you can lower your thermostat to be in the 50° to 60° range to save money.
Setting your thermostat to come on at 16 degrees will help to make sure that your home stays safe whilst you're away.
The less your furnace runs, the more money you save. We recommend keeping your thermostat at 68 degrees Fahrenheit while you're awake at home, and then setting it back 10 to 12 degrees when you're away or asleep. This strategy can save you as much as 10 percent a year on your energy bill, according to ENERGY STAR®.
Keep the internal temperature of your heating set to between 18°C and 20°C. Every degree you increase your heating can add up to 10% on your energy use. Set your thermostat to warm your house for times you need it. Turn it off overnight and when you're away from home.
According to ENERGY STAR, setting your thermostat to 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) when you're home is the ideal balance of comfort and energy efficiency. So why is 68 degrees the magic number?
The Energy Saving Trust recommends heating your home to between 18 to 21 degrees celsius during winter. And The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests 18 degrees is the ideal temperature for healthy and well-dressed people. Both agree this is also the ideal temperature for sleeping.
You should set the central heating programme to come on around half an hour before you get up, and go off around half an hour before you go to bed. And if the house is empty during the day, or you can manage without heating during the day, make sure you've set the programmer to go off for this period too.
Thermostat Operation
You can easily save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to around 68°F while you're awake and setting it lower while you're asleep or away from home.
According to experts at the Energy Saving Trust, the idea it's cheaper to leave the heating on low all day is a myth. They're clear that having the heating on only when you need it is, in the long run, the best way to save energy, and therefore money.
Is it cost effective to turn your heat completely off when you go to work? Is it better than leaving it on steadily? ANSWER: Turning your heat on and off is not cost effective, since your system will have to work extra hard for extra long to get the temperature back up.
The average savings for homeowners who do this is 1% to 3% per degree that they lower the thermostat. For a homeowner who lowers the temperature 8 degrees for 8 hours per day, that savings translates to at least $180 per year.
“I would recommend turning your heating off at night, or when you are not at home, as this will help to save energy and lower your bills,” says Collier. Temperatures are lower first thing in the morning and once the sun goes down; this is when you are most likely to want the heating on.
Your house is supposed to be a warm and comfortable place – especially in winter. But unfortunately, that is not the case for many Australian homes: The walls are thin, the windows leak, and more often than not, there is no insulation in the walls.
Heat pumps (including reverse cycle air-conditioners) are the most energy-efficient combined heating and cooling system you can buy. Central heating options include ducted air and in-slab floor heating. Space heaters can use electricity, gas or wood.
Ducted heating is one of Australia's most popular heating methods for controlling temperature within the whole house. Ducted heating is central heating which recycles the air inside your home through a return air grille which warms air using a heat exchanger on its return to the room.
On average, the best air conditioner temperature setting for summer in Australia is around 23℃ – 24℃ for comfort or 25℃ – 27℃ for maximum energy savings. In winter, reverse cycle heating should be set to around 18℃ – 20℃.
That's because Australian homes are closer to tents than insulated eco-buildings. As winter sets in, and temperatures plummet, it can sometimes feel as cold inside as it does outside. The reason for this is the poor thermal performance of houses in Australia.
The walls, floors and ceilings of your home should feel warm and dry to the touch. When drywall and panelling inside a home feels damp or cold, that's a clear sign there's not enough insulation. Alternatively, when touching an exterior wall, it should feel cold because insulation is keeping warm air inside a home.
The lowest minimum temperature was −23.0 °C (−9.4 °F) at Charlotte Pass on 29 June 1994 in the Snowy Mountains. This is also the lowest temperature recorded in the whole of Australia excluding Australian Antarctic Territory. Rainfall varies throughout the state.
Remember, the higher the thermostat, the more fuel you use. If you have central heating and you are away in cold weather, leave the heating on continuously with the thermostat set to low to stop your pipes freezing.