3 Energy‑Saving Thermostat Setting Tips for Winter in Arizona

It finally happened: Arizona got cold. Most Arizonans aren’t sure how to set their thermostats in this kind of weather.

Well, now you will know. Here are 3 thermostat setting tips for winter that will keep your energy bills low.

For winter, the U.S Department of Energy suggests setting your thermostat at 68 degrees F when you’re home and awake.

When you don’t need heating for 8 hours or more (usually when you’re at work or asleep), they suggest turning down the temperature 10 to 15 degrees F. No need to heat your home when you don’t need to, right?

If you don’t want to come home or wake up to an ice cave, you should install a programmable thermostat. You can program it to tell your heating equipment to start heating your home around the time you’re waking up or when you get home from work.

According to ENERGY STAR, programmable thermostats can save you about $180 a year through lower energy bills. So they pay for themselves.

You know what’s not fun? Cold air blowing through your vents in the middle of winter.

But that’s what happens if you set your thermostats fan setting to “ON.” Your heating unit’s blower will keep running even when it’s not being heated. So, keep it set on “AUTO.”

Heat rises and cold air sinks. So all that hot air your furnace or heat pump is blowing rises to your ceiling (not where you want it).

But if your ceiling fan turns in reverse (counter-clockwise) it pushes the hot air down the edges of your room, making you feel warmer. If you’re warmer, you can turn the thermostat a few degrees lower.