Dress for the weather
and maintain appropriate thermostat
settings
Do not be like the person above.
Before you think about adjusting
temperature settings, make sure you
have dressed appropriately for the
weather. Consider layering and also
changing your beddings to reflect
the seasonal temperatures changes.
The average household spends more
than $2,200 a year on energy bills �
nearly half of which goes to heating
and cooling. You can save around 10%
a year on your heating and cooling
bills by simply adjusting your
thermostat 10��15� for eight hours �
a saving of as much as 1% per degree
for eight hour period. You can do
this manually or automatically
without sacrificing comfort by
installing an automatic setback or
programmable thermostat.
EPA�s Energy Star and ASHRAE
(American society of heating,
refrigeration, and air conditioning
engineers) recommends setting the
thermostats between 76�F and 78�F
for cooling and between 68�F and
70�F for heating season when the
house is occupied during the day.
During unoccupied daytime hours the
cooling settings can be raised by
7�F and heating settings dropped by
7�F. In hot and humid climates like
Houston the cooling nighttime
setting should be adjusted to keep
humidity at a comfortable level.
Note: Exercise caution when the
space is occupied with pets and talk
to your doctor about any health
problems (or medications) that may
require temperatures different from
these recommendations.
