It is springtime and the weather is getting nicer. There are a few days you don’t need a coat, a couple days you think about wearing sandals, and maybe even a day where you ponder sunscreen use. Is it time to turn your thermostat off? Will it really make a difference in your energy costs? While we don’t want to get your hopes up, especially during springtime in the Midwest, there are some thermostat hacks you can use to be more energy efficient in the spring.
Lower is Better
Turning your thermostat off completely might be counterproductive on energy use. It will save some money initially when it is warm out. When there is a couple day cold stretch and you want the heat on, however, it will take more energy to get it up and going again. This is why we would recommend that you just turn the thermostat down during the spring weeks. The heat will still kick on during those cold stretches, but overall you will be saving money by letting the warmer air outside keep your house at a good temperature. It will also save you from having to manually monitor your thermostat for different weather conditions.
Programmable Thermostat
The easiest way to make this tip possible is to have a programmable thermostat. Do you know if your thermostat can be programmed? Technology has advanced so much that some can even be managed from your smartphone. Other, not so smart, programmable thermostats are still nice. You can set them to kick on at a certain temperature and forget about it.
Watch the Weather
If you do not have a programmable thermostat, the best way to save some energy in springtime is to watch the weather. When you have a few days that will be warmer, try turning it down during that time. These thermostat hacks can get you through the month or two of unexpected spring weather. Soon it will be warm most days and we can give our thermostat a break. Until it becomes so warm we need the air conditioning. Oh, the joys of Midwestern weather!
