Does is save energy to cut back the heat while we are gone during the day?

Question

or does it just use up more energy to heat the house back up when we get home?

Answer 1

Yes, as long as it doesn't go too low. We turn ours to 62 during the day when we are gone and up to 68 when we get home. It not only saves energy, it lowers the power (or gas/oil ) bill too.

Answer 2

They say it does.. me I got a pellet stove.. they are supposed to save on my gas bill we shall see when December and January bills roll in!!

Answer 3

The power company told me it saves up to 8% for every degree you turn the heat down during the day!  I turn my heat down to 64 during the day.  Why would I keep my heat on 70 when I'm not home from 6:30 am till 4:30pm.

Answer 4

When I worked for the gas company we'd advise people to turn down the heat no lower than 17 degrees Celsius.  That's about 63F.  If you turn it down too low then yes, it takes more energy to heat your place back up when you come home than what you'd save.

Like Bob mentioned, a programmable thermostat is a great investment.  It'll pay for itself pretty quick.

Make sure also that your furniture doesn't cover heating vents on the floor.  Sounds pretty intuitive to me, but I was surprised at the number of people I would talk to who didn't consider that.

Answer 5

Absolutely it saves energy.  Still in doubt after all the answers?  Try it, what do you have to lose????

Answer 6

Depends on how long  your out of the house . With the cost of heating your home global warming is like a blessing in disguise to allot of us .

Answer 7

it saves money, which is really what you are concerned about.

save money by keeping it turned down when you get back home. put on a sweater and long johns.

Answer 8

As other people have mentioned, I highly recommend a thermostat that you can program.  Check with your energy company to see if they have any options on this - my energy company actually handed them out for free if you called and requested it!  (They sent out fliers in the bills).  That way your house will be warm when you need it and cooler when you don't.  It also helps with the cooling bills during the summer.

Answer 9

I think it saves energy to turn everything in the home off when you leave.

Answer 10

When I lived in NC (army) I remember an expert talking on the radio saying that this is just a myth and that it takes more energy to heat or cool a house down when you get home than just leaving the thermostat on a moderate temperature like 68 degrees all the time.

Answer 11

Yes, and lower it a bit at night too.

Answer 12

It absolutely saves energy.

Heat flows like water, only from higher temperatures to lower.  The greater the temperature difference, the faster it flows.

By cutting back the heat during the day, you lower the temperature difference between your house and outside.  Less heat flows out during the day, and your furnace does less work replacing it.

Best is a "programmable" thermostat that automatically lowers the temperature, and brings it back up just before you get home.

Answer 13

It does save energy to turn the heat down...  It does not save energy to turn the heat completely off unless you are going to be gone for an extended period of time.