According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 52% of a household’s annual energy consumption goes to two things: space heating and air conditioning. Your thermostat controls both. And spring is the season when most homeowners manage it the least efficiently.
The transition problem
Spring is the only time of year when your system might run heat in the morning and cool in the afternoon. That back-and-forth puts a lot of homeowners in reactive mode. This means they might be constantly adjusting the thermostat to chase comfort rather than setting it up to work smarter. A little strategy goes a long way.
Pick a baseline and stick with it
Rather than constantly bumping the thermostat up and down as the weather shifts, it’s better to pick a comfortable middle-ground setting and let the system do its job. Though tempting, small and frequent adjustments don’t actually help. They just create more work for your HVAC, make it harder to settle into a consistent schedule, and cost you more cash in the long run.
Update your programming for the new season
If you’re still running winter settings, your system is working harder than it needs to. Spring is the right time to revisit your schedule. You can set it cooler when you’re away or asleep, and then comfortable when you’re home. A simple update can make a noticeable dent in your bills without any sacrifice in comfort. Our post on 5 Habits of Homeowners with Low Energy Bills covers this and several other easy wins worth building into your routine.
Don’t crank it when switching modes
When you flip from heat to cool for the first time, resist the urge to set the thermostat extra low thinking it’ll cool faster. It won’t. Your system cools at the same rate regardless of how low you set it. All you end up doing is running the unit longer and driving up your bill. Set it where you want it and give it time to catch up.
Use the “away” setting but not too aggressively
Letting your home warm up while you’re at work is smart. Letting it get to 90°F and then trying to pull it back down to 72°F when you walk in the door is not. That kind of swing forces a long recovery cycle and can drive up energy use.. A 5–7°F setback is the sweet spot. This creates enough to save, but not enough to cause problems.
Is it time for an upgrade?
If you’re still using a basic manual thermostat, the spring transition is a great time to reconsider. Programmable and smart thermostats handle seasonal shifts automatically. They learn your schedule, adjust on their own, and give you control from your phone. Jerry’s installs and services systems from Trane, Goodman, and Daikin, all compatible with today’s smart thermostat options. Check out our breakdown of 8 Benefits of Installing Smart Thermostats in Your Home to see if an upgrade makes sense for you.
If you have any questions about your HVAC system, please get in touch with us today.