While there are optimal indoor temperature recommendations from institutions in our industry that set the standards like Energy.gov, EPA and Consumer Reports, there’s really no one who can tell you what is going to be the most comfortable for you. But, to make our best recommendation for a thermostat setting in winter, Expert HVAC and Refrigeration will use the data and science collected by these agencies to advice our customers in El Paso.
Energy.gov suggests setting the thermostat at home while you’re awake and lowering it while you’re asleep or away from home for the most comfort and savings. On average, homes kept at 68-70° F during occupied hours create optimal comfort. However, if there is an elderly person or infant in the home, it may be most comfortable for them to add a degree or two in the winter time so that they can more easily stay warm.
Consumer Reports recommends lowering the thermostat while away from home or sleeping to be most comfortable and they say it will also keep your heating bills in check. Lowering your thermostat by 5-10 degrees from its highest setting for the hours while you sleep or are at work (or both) can significantly reduce your heating bills…from 10-15%.
But, did you know there are also health benefits to lowering winter’s thermostat settings? It’s true. Setting the thermostat a little lower in the colder months can actually help you maintain your body weight. “Temperatures in the 60 to 62 degrees F range burn an extra 100 to 150 calories per day,” says C. Ronald Kahn, M.D., professor of medicine at Harvard medical school, who studies the effect of temperature on energy-burning brown fats. “Even if you’re only burning 50 calories a day at the higher end of that, that’s still half a pound of fat every month.”
Heating our homes in the winter time accounts for nearly half of our utility bill each month. That’s something to consider when choosing the thermostat setting. Choosing your setting is, of course, your choice. But, at what $$cost$$? Try these expert recommendations and if you are still cold, we do recommend you add degree by degree until you feel warm and comfortable.
We also can recommend other ways to stay warm in your home this winter, including:
- wearing warmer clothing than you normally would,
- adding weather stripping to block drafts,
- opening the blinds and drapes during the day to allow the sunlight in and closing them at night,
- regularly changing your furnace filter so that the warm air more easily flows into your living spaces, and
- rearranging furniture so that you avoid any window or door drafts.
Winter is here, El Paso. And, staying warm is going to be a little harder than usual. Expert HVAC and Refrigeration offers these recommendations to help you be most comfortable. If your furnace cannot maintain these recommendations, you may have a problem that needs to be checked. If that is the case, call us at 915-598-1732. We can help!