For The Most Savings, Set Your Thermostat To This Temperature During The Fall

Fall weather means cooler temperatures and shorter days. It is also the transitional period when people turn off the air conditioning and switch to heat, since this is when temperatures drop significantly. While you might be tempted to set your thermostat to the warmest temperature you can think of, that's generally not the most energy-efficient. Setting your thermostat too high in the fall can lead to higher heating bills and excessive energy waste. One way to help reduce your energy costs at home is to set your thermostat to 68 degrees Fahrenheit when you're home and awake. This means that the heat will kick on once the temperature drops below this level, keeping your house cool yet still comfortable if you wear something warm.

When you leave the house or go to sleep for the night, it's recommended to set the temperature between seven and ten degrees lower, that is, between 58 and 61 degrees. Even though this might seem too low or counterintuitive, lowering the threshold at which the heat comes on can actually help your wallet even further, without sacrificing your comfort when you return or wake up. And since the weather in the fall is generally milder than in winter, you can often go longer periods without turning the heat on at all, or rely more heavily on natural sunlight for warmth. If you don't love the idea of having to remember when to adjust your thermostat, using a smart thermostat for your household can help automate your temperature setbacks, making it so that you don't have to manually adjust the thermostat multiple times a day.

Setting your thermostat to 68 degrees in the fall (cooler at night or when away) has a significant impact on lowering your energy consumption and reducing your utility bills. In simple terms, a cooler temperature on the thermostat means that your furnace or heat pump isn't running as much, saving you money on heating costs. But there is a much deeper explanation as to why this subtle change can yield up to a 10% reduction in annual energy bills.

When the temperature inside your home is closer to the outdoor temperature, the rate of heat loss through your home's envelope slows down. This slower heat loss means that the total amount of energy saved outweighs the energy needed to reheat the home. And when you enter the setback period (the times when you lower the thermostat further), the rate of heat loss drops even lower, maximizing your energy conservation for that duration.

Also consider weatherstripping your windows to lower energy costs and keep the heat inside your home. Window drafts and leaks account for a significant portion of heat loss — sometimes so much so that the thermostat adjustments you make are almost entirely ineffective at saving energy. Sealing these gaps reduces the burden on your heating system, allowing it to maintain your temperature setting with much less effort and energy consumption.