All of the frugal and green living types constantly tout the savings you get when you turn down the thermostat. Just turning it down a few degrees can save you a few percent on your heating bill.
I’ve definitely noticed that keeping your thermostats at reasonable temperatures can have an effect on our energy usage. That’s why I usually try to hold off until at least October 1 before I turn on the heat. But this year in northern Minnesota, it’s gotten colder earlier, and so the heat went on a bit earlier, and I had to swallow my frugal pride and turn the heat on in the third week of September.
We leave our thermostats at 68 degrees (well, technically they say 70, but we’ve found that our thermostats are off by about two degrees). Since I’m a stay-at-home mom and we stay at home most of the time, we haven’t invested in a programmable thermostat. And I can’t stand sleeping in weather that is cold, so the consistent temperature works for us.
Of course, in the fall, we sometimes have lived with indoor temps of 62 degrees. We simply put on socks, slippers, and sweaters. We tend to bake more and cuddle up on the couch with blankets.
We always end up back at 68 degrees because that’s just what seems to feel the best to us. We know we could save more money by turning down the thermostat at night, but we don’t really care to save money in that way.
So I’m curious…what temperature do you keep your home at? Do you have a programmable thermostat? What kind of savings have you seen by turning down the thermostat?
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