Bob Pierce answers questions about energy efficiency, consumer products, and cooperative governance. He is Clearwater Power’s Chief Operating Officer and welcomes your questions on our Ask Bob page.
Does it really save energy to turn down the thermostat when I am asleep or away from home?
Yes, it does. Below are a few tips to help you get the most savings.
We recommend you set your thermostat between 58 and 62 degrees when sleeping or away for an extended period.
1 of the variables determining heat loss in your home is the difference in temperature from inside to outside. The smaller the difference, the slower the heat transfer rate. If your house cools from 70 to 58 degrees while you are gone, you have slowed your heat loss. Even though your heating system must run longer when you come home to bring the temperature back up, you still have net savings.
If you have a heat pump system, you should only do this with a programmable thermostat. Programmable (or smart) thermostats will heat your home slowly, using only the high-efficiency heat pump. If you manually turn up the thermostat on a heat pump system, it will likely turn on the electric backup or emergency heat. This electric resistance heat will warm the home faster but much less efficiently, doing away with most or all the savings you gained by turning down the thermostat.
Clearwater Power makes obtaining a smart thermostat more affordable. If you are a residential member with an electric forced-air furnace or heat pump, you may qualify for a free Google Nest programmable thermostat. Clearwater Power offers the Google Nest Thermostat at no cost to qualifying members.
There is also an option to upgrade to the Nest Learning Thermostat, which programs itself, for $119. Either model will help you start saving.
The Nest Thermostat is incompatible with variable-speed heat pumps, and homes with gas heating do not qualify for this offer.
A $100 rebate is also available on several other smart thermostat models. Qualifying models are listed at the link below.
Visit the Smart Thermostat page— to check compatibility and eligibility or to place an order.
Remember: Always turn down your thermostat when you are asleep or away from home, and use a programmable thermostat to make sure you do this most efficiently.