Spring offers some truly lovely days on Long Island’s North Fork and East End. Some days, the temperature is so nice that it’s easy to forget how much we depend on heating and cooling equipment for much of the year.
But if you ignore your thermostat setting, you could end up running your home’s air conditioning equipment far more than you need to. You might also wake up on a slightly chilly morning with the furnace or boiler burning fuel to heat your home unnecessarily. This can lead to lots of money wasted on electricity and fuel.
Burt’s Reliable has been keeping Suffolk County households comfortable for over a century. We can give you some guidance on finding that “just right” temperature in the spring and summer.
When it comes to running your A/C in the late spring and summer, you want to find the balance that minimizes how often the equipment runs while keeping you and your family comfortable.
We’ve found that 78 degrees Fahrenheit strikes this balance for most families. You might find that the people in your home may need the temperature to be lower. The important thing is to choose a setting and stick with it. This prevents people from cranking the thermostat down when the house feels warm, causing spikes in energy use.
If temperatures take an unexpected dip in spring, you might find that your heating system is turning on again. You can minimize this by setting your heat to 68 degrees Fahrenheit on cooler days.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can save up to 10 percent a year on heating and cooling expenses by turning your thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees from its standard setting for 8 hours a day. The ideal time for you to do this is when everyone is asleep or out of the house.
We recommend that you install a programmable thermostat that allows you to set and forget these temperature adjustments. Even better, you can invest in a smart thermostat like the Ecobee products we sell and install. Smart thermostats make energy-saving adjustments when you are not in the house.
It would be best if you place your thermostat on an interior wall near the center of your home. Preferably, it should be in a room people often use.
The team at Burt’s Reliable works every day to safeguard the comfort of the households we serve — and save them money in the process. If your HVAC system hasn’t received service in a while, get in touch with us this spring. A tune-up will do wonders for your heating and cooling efficiency. You’ll spend less money on energy and stay totally comfortable.
Our team members are standing by to help. Contact us today for a service visit.