Heating and cooling normally represents a very large component of a home’s ongoing costs. Combined they tend to represent about 30% of energy usage in a home with water heating adding an additional 12% on top of that. It stands to reason that with more people working and remaining at home, those costs will climb so any reduced energy usage is extra money in your pocket.
Here are 15 lessons related to energy usage within the home to help you save money.
How much does 1 degree of heat or cooling cost?
Adding 1 degree of heat or cooling is believed to add about 3% to your energy bill for that month. According to the Department of Energy’s Energy Savers
website, that’s the amount that you should expect your energy bill to increase each month for every 1° increase or decrease on your thermostat for heating and cooling respectively.
Depending on how your household likes the indoor temperature of your home, it’s usually suggested that 68° F (20° C) is the ideal setting for your thermostat during the day. It’s also suggested to set your thermostat lower at night by as much as 10° F (or by up to 6° C) for more comfortable sleeping and to reduce heating costs.
Similarly during the summer, you can raise the thermostat at night by several degrees to keep AC costs down depending on what you can tolerate.
What is the most comfortable room temperature for humans?
Room temperature is generally defined in the range of 68 °F – 72 °F or 20 °C – 22 °C. While every person might approach heating and cooling slightly differently and have their own preference, this is the general range that will yield the most comfortable results in any season.
Using a programmable thermostat is the easiest and most efficient way to heat and cool your home as it means you can set a schedule that changes during the day and night depending on whether the home is empty or occupied and can also take into consideration time of use costs if you are charged different energy rates during the day.
At what temperature should you turn on your heat? (Winter temperature)
Set your thermostat in your home at around 68 °F or 20 °C to maintain a pleasant and comfortable temperature within the house in winter. This represents the lower end of the range of temperatures that is widely considered to be comfortable for humans.
Dress for the weather too. Many people under dress within the home in winter so don’t be afraid to throw on a sweater and warm pants and socks rather than dressing lightly while you are at home. It sounds obvious but even thin cotton long-sleeved shirts don’t provide much warmth during cold weather and may cause you to feel cold to the point where you automatically raise the temperature on the thermostat which increases your energy costs.
Take advantage of the direct sun during the day by opening blinds on bright days and allowing the sun in the home. You would be surprised at how the sun can warm up the home even during winter to help you reduce energy costs. Conversely, close drapes and shades at night to help retain heat.
If you have tiles or wood flooring, using rugs or throws can give the feeling of warmth on your feet.
At what temperature should you turn on your AC? (Summer temperature)
Set your thermostat in your home at around 78 °F or 26 °C to maintain a pleasant and comfortable temperature within the house in summer. This represents a temperature that is both cost-effective and comfortable enough to live in.
The reason why the recommended summer temperature is higher than what is considered the top end of the room temperature range is that we can directly affect how we cool the home without considering the air conditioner or other energy-using method. Dressing in light clothing (shorts, short-sleeved shirts) is a good start too.
Close your window blinds and drapes to allow enough light in to see but not to much that it also blocks out direct sunlight. If you are unaware of how blinds and drapes block out the sun and thus the heat, you might be amazed when you try it. It can drastically reduce the use of AC when you use drapes and blinds to your advantage.
You can also adjust drapes and blinds on either side of your house as the sun moves throughout the day. If the sunlight is at the front of your home during the morning, close those drapes and open the ones at the back of the house for enough sunlight to light the home but with no direct sunlight, it won’t overheat the rooms. Then during the day, adjust the drapes as needed on both sides of the home as the sun’s rays change.
If you prefer to keep your temperature a bit higher, just remember that it will lead to higher energy costs. Most AC units aren’t designed to cool a home lower than around 70 °F – 72 °F (21 °C – 22 °F) so don’t set your AC lower than this.
Should you leave the heating on overnight?
Lowering the temperature on your thermostat by several degrees at night not only saves money on heating costs but makes it more comfortable for sleeping. Turning heating or cooling off completely runs the risk of making the home too cold or too hot to the point where you wake up in the middle of the night.
It can also make it uncomfortable in the morning when your HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) turns back on and has to catch up. This can raise energy costs rather than lowering them in addition to making the temperature swings in your home hard to take.
Rather than one extreme or the other – leaving the heat the same as your daytime temperature, or shutting off heat completely – simply adjust the thermostat down several or more degrees depending on your preference. Set the thermostat higher to begin heating the home an hour or so before you wake up so that the home is comfortable when you get out of bed.
Is it cheaper to run your heating all day?
The most efficient way to heat a home is to set your thermostat at 68 °F or 20 °C to achieve a consistent temperature during the day and then lowering the temperature by several degrees overnight depending on your personal comfort level and what you prefer.
While keeping a consistent temperature makes sense during the day and when you’re home, turning the temperature down when you’re away for an extended time (ie. you’re at work, at school or on vacation) also makes sense. Not running your heating system uses less energy (obviously) and saves money.
The belief seems to be that you are better off running heating (or cooling) all day because your system will otherwise have to catch up and run longer when it is turned back on. In actuality, you are better off running your heating system as needed during the day and turning it down several or more degrees at night.
Every 1° you lower your heating or cooling can save up to 3% in energy costs that month.
Does cranking the thermostat up or down quickly heat and cool the house?
One of the biggest heating and cooling myths is that turning the thermostat up or down as far it will go will quickly cool or heat a home but this is not correct. Air conditioning and heating systems work similar to a light and not like a dimmer switch: They are either on or off. Cranking the cooling or heating does not make the temperature change quicker.
Setting and leaving the thermostat at the desired temperature is your best bet. If you crank the AC or heat and forget to adjust it back down, the temperature may swing too far in the opposite direction which is a waste of energy and overuse of your HVAC system for no good reason.
Is it bad to run your HVAC fan?
Running your HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) fan on the Automatic setting is a good idea as it ensures that air is being circulated throughout the home at all times even if the air conditioner or furnace isn’t running. This offers a few potential benefits:
- Air temperature is more consistent and is spread throughout the home constantly.
- Air quality and cleanliness can be improved as air is constantly passing through the furnace filter to remove more pollutants and debris from the air you breathe.
- By keeping the fan running, it is not switching on and off as frequently which reduces the stress placed on the motor.
If you choose to run your fan on Automatic though, it will increase the energy costs of the fan although it could reduce overall energy costs given the more consistent temperature throughout the home. If will also mean you should keep a closer eye on your furnace filter and may need to change it more frequently as it is processing more air than if the fan shuts on and off.
Will installing new windows save money on heating and cooling costs?
The average cost to replace one window is around $650. While installing more energy efficient windows can save money on heating and cooling costs, it’s similar to buying a smaller car and selling your current one to save money on gas: The cost of installing new windows will far exceed any energy savings you will achieve in the short or medium term and may take decades for you to break even.
If your windows have to be replaced, that’s a different story as you’re doing it out of necessity. At that point getting the most energy efficient windows you can afford certainly makes sense.
A better way to save money on energy costs is to do things around the home that have a shorter term break even point. Better insulation of your home will begin to pay off right away and you will get your money back much sooner. Sealing air leaks in windows, doors and the attic will also save money right away.
What temperature is too cold for a house?
The lowest acceptable indoor temperature for a home particularly one that experiences cold winters is generally regarded as being 64° C or 18° F. If the home has children or elderly people residing there, the minimum temperature is increased to 70° C or 21° F.
Cold indoor home temperature is largely influenced by outdoor temperature, lack of indoor heating, lack of insulation, structural defects and air leaks within the home. There is increasing evidence that cold indoor temperatures can lead to serious long term health consequences, too.
Maintaining a minimum temperature of at least 50° C or 10° F is recommended for a vacant home to ensure that there is enough heat in the house to avoid frozen pipes and the potential of a flood should pipes burst.
Which costs more heating or cooling?
Heating a home can take up to 3x the energy required to cool a home. Research shows that living in a very cold climate (Minneapolis) is also more energy demanding than living in a hot one (Miami) illustrating that heating a home in extreme conditions is much harder and more costly than cooling a home in a very hot environment. It takes more energy to transfer heat through cooling that creating heat in the home so lowering the temperature by 1 degree requires less energy than raising the temperature by 1 degree.
We also have more control over quickly keeping a home cooler than we do making a house warmer. To cool a home in summer, we can close all blinds and drapes and wear light clothing such as shorts and short-sleeved shirts. In the middle of winter when the weather is coldest we rely on our heating system to raise the temperature in the home more than anything else.
Another reason is that air conditioners are more efficient than furnaces and other heating options. Wood-burning fireplaces are very inefficient as are older style furnaces compared to modern AC units. With air conditioning you are moving hot air from inside your home and moving it out whereas with heating you are actively heating cold air which costs more and requires more energy.
Are ceiling fans worth it?
Ceiling fans don’t heat or cool the air but do give the feeling that the temperature is slightly warmer or colder depending on which direction they are turning. Ceiling fans use electricity but consume far less energy than your air conditioner or furnace. Using a ceiling fan particularly in bedrooms can help you lower overall energy costs for both heating in winter and cooling in the summer.
A ceiling fan in the bedroom can make the room feel slightly less hot in the summer and slightly warmer in the winter depending on which way the blades are rotating. Modern fans enable you to change fan direction as follows:
Counterclockwise in the summer: A fan spinning counterclockwise in the summer draws warm air upwards and pushes cold air towards the ground which can give you the feeling of the room being several degrees cooler than it is.
Clockwise in the winter: A fan spinning clockwise in the winter pulls colder area up and pushes warm air which naturally rises to the ceiling along the walls and back down towards the ground to give the feeling that the room is warmer.
If you can’t tell which direction is which, try this: Turn the fan on and stand underneath it. If you feel wind blowing down and against you, it is spinning counterclockwise and is set for summer usage.
Do ceiling fans increase your electric bill?
The average ceiling fan operates with 50 – 80 watts excluding the light so using the fan for 1 hour would cost between 7 cents to 11 cents at $0.1319 per KWH which is the average cost of electricity in the US.
The highest energy costs for most homeowners is the cost of the furnace in winter and the air conditioning in summer. The cost to use a ceiling fan is very low and can help to decrease overall heating and cooling costs by circulating air throughout a room and making the temperature of the room feel several degrees warmer or cooler depending on the direction of the fan.
How do I keep my heating bills down?
Winter heating bills tend to be the single largest energy expense in the home, especially for those who live in cold winter environments and older homes. Houses that have poor or little insulation, drafts and air leaks, and structural issues contribute to higher than average heating costs. Addressing these concerns is one way to keep your heating costs down.
Don’t forget to dress for the weather inside the home too. Often people put on thin long sleeved shirts that aren’t much warmer than a thicker short-sleeved one. Put on a sweater and socks and wear warm clothes. When you bake something in the oven, leave the oven door open to heat the room rather than closing it. Close off doors to rooms that aren’t being used and turn down the air vents in unused rooms to direct more warm air to rooms in use.
Also shop around for energy prices. You may be surprised to learn how you can save money just by calling your current provider to ensure you are getting any discounts they may offer. They won’t necessarily call to let you know just like your cable or cellphone provider may not call to lower your monthly charges proactively.
Do be careful when switching energy suppliers with variable rates and other gimmicky sales tactics. An up front savings might not be worth the risk when facing extraordinary events such as a major storm as many residents in Texas discovered in January 2021 when electricity prices skyrocketed overnight.
When should I replace my heating and cooling system?
As with any major appliance in the home, when the appliance has reached or exceeded half of its expected life span and you are facing a repair that costs at least half of its initial cost, it is usually better to replace the appliance at that point than have it repaired.
Once a furnace, air conditioner or other major mechanical component of your HVAC system has reached half of its reasonably expected lifespan, you can also expect that new technology has become available that is more energy efficient than what you have now. So while a large repair of old appliances simply becomes cost inefficient at some point, the expected energy savings from a new model also makes replacement look more appealing for the long term.
Click here to read my article on the expected lifespan of various major appliances in the home so you can understand how long you should expect to keep them before considering replacement.