Maintenance Tip: Save on Energy Costs

Follow these simple tips to stay comfortable while reducing your energy bills:

1. Adjust the temperature gradually. Raising the thermostat setting too quickly during cold weather can activate the auxiliary heat strip, which uses significantly more electricity.
2. Winter Settings: Set your thermostat between 68°F and 70°F when you're home and awake. Lower it to 65°F to 68°F at night to help reduce heating costs.
3. Summer Settings: Set your thermostat between 78°F and 80°F when you're home. Increasing the setting to 80°F to 82°F at night or when you're away can help lower cooling costs.
4. Adjust your thermostat when away. Lower the temperature setting in winter and raise it in summer when leaving your home for extended periods.
5. Keep doors and windows closed whenever the heating or air conditioning system is operating.
6. Use ceiling fans or portable fans to improve comfort while using less energy than air conditioning alone.
7. Set ceiling fans correctly.
   1. 1. In summer, run fans counterclockwise to create a cooling breeze.
      2. In winter, run fans clockwise at a low speed to help circulate warm air.
8. Turn fans off when leaving a room. Fans cool people, not rooms, so running them in empty spaces wastes energy.

 

Remember: Setting the thermostat higher in winter or lower in summer will not heat or cool your home faster. It will only make your system run longer and use more energy.