Most of us dread that annoying time in spring when we have to “spring forward” one hour at 2 a.m. on a Sunday, and lose an hour of sleep. Yes, Daylight Saving Time is around the corner — March 11, to be exact — and so plan on suddenly experiencing a darker morning when you get up on that day. But just as you will need to allow your body to get used to this change, so you should adjust your programmable or smart thermostat’s schedule, so you can continue to reap the benefits of running your HVAC efficiently.
Adjusting Your Thermostat for Efficiency
If you have a programmable or Wi-fi thermostat, then you may know about setting an efficient schedule. Set your thermostat a few degrees lower or higher, depending on the season, when you don’t need as much energy. For instance, this summer, you may not need the air conditioner to run as low when you’re sleeping or away from home, as you do when you’re home and up and about. Likewise, in winter, the thermostat should be set higher for the furnace at these times.
The Department of Energy says that homeowners could save as much as 10 percent annually on utility bills by cutting back 10 degrees or so for at least eight hours a day. Your programmable or Wi-fi thermostat can help you do just that, so that you don’t always have to remember to adjust the heating or cooling manually for savings.
Adjusting for Daylight Saving Time
When the time changes to DST in March, we’ll be getting up, going to work or school, arriving home and going to bed an hour earlier than before. It’s important for your comfort and your home’s efficiency that you adjust your thermostat to coincide with local DST.
Be sure to set the thermostat to ramp up heating or cooling an hour or so before you get up or arrive home so the house will be comfortable.
To learn more about Daylight Saving Time and setting your thermostat, contact Aggressive Mechanical Contractors of Monmouth County.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Monmouth County, New Jersey and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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