Choose the right room temperature

Why

Keep people comfortable and reduce energy waste by choosing appropriate temperature settings. “Night setback” or turning the heat down at night when people are burrowed under blankets is an easy action, and can save 2% off your heating bill for every degree C the heat is down.

In spite of what some people believe, night setback really does save energy. Consider the metaphor of a leaky bucket. If you are trying to keep water in a leaky bucket, you have to be pouring water in as fast as it is leaking out.

• The bucket represents your house, and the leaks are all the ways heat escapes your house. A very leaky bucket represents a drafty or poorly insulated house. A bucket with only a few leaks represents a well insulated, well sealed house.
• The water represents heat.
• The tap represents your furnace, boiler, or other heaters.
• The level of water represents the thermostat setting.

When the water level is low, a bit of water leaks out and the tap has to run a bit to hold the level.

When the water level is high, a lot of water leaks out and the tap has to run a lot to hold the level. The higher the water level, the faster the tap has to run.

If you turn off the tap, the bucket will empty. At first, water will leak out quickly, then as the water level drops it will leak out more slowly. When you want to refill the bucket, you need to add the amount of water that leaked out. But overall you will have saved water because it leaked more slowly when it was less full.

 

How

In the summer, set thermostat to 24^oC when people are home and 29^oC when no one is home.

In the winter, set thermostat to 20^oC when people are home and 17^oC when no one is home, or when people are in bed. 

Set your thermostat to “cool” in the summer and “heat” in the winter. An “auto” setting will allow the heat to come on in the summer or the air conditioning to come on in the winter.