Should You Leave Your Heat on All Day or Turn It Off? Which is Cheaper?
We'll show you which option helps keep you comfortable and save money on your energy bills.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects winter natural gas costs to be about 2% higher than their five year average, while electricity prices are forecast to be 11% higher than last year. No matter how you heat your home this winter, your bill is likely to go up.
There's one easy way to slash your bills: Set your thermostat to the best temperature for the appropriate amount of time. To save money on heating, the Department of Energy recommends turning your thermostat from 68°F to 70°F while you're awake and 7 to 10 degrees lower when you're away from home.
Doing this can help you save up to 10% annually on your energy bills. Along with this, we'll explain whether it's efficient to turn your heat off and other energy-saving measures you should employ.
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Will turning my heat off help with energy efficiency?
You might be wondering if you'd be better off turning your heat off completely. In most cases, you’d do better turning your heat down low than turning it off entirely.
According to Wired, leaving your heat running constantly at a low temperature is best. However, they warn that keeping specific rooms in your home very cold can "reduce the overall efficiency of your heating since those rooms will soak up warmth and make your boiler or heat pump work harder."
If you live somewhere cold, turning the heat off all day probably isn't suitable, as it can cause your pipes to freeze and burst. Or maybe you work from home. Dropping your thermostat instead of turning it off completely can help significantly reduce your heating costs — in some cases by 10%. You'll also maximize your savings by ensuring your home is properly insulated and loses less heat.
Purchasing a smart thermostat is a great solution for keeping your home at the appropriate temperature, enabling you to control it from your phone. This allows you to schedule different temperatures for different times of the day or to turn your heat off/on whenever you want, even if you're not at home.
Other ways to save on energy costs
- Do an energy audit — by making improvements identified in a home energy audit, you can save from 5% to 30% on your monthly energy bill.
- Ensure your home has proper insulation, so it doesn't lose heat.
- Consider a heat pump to heat and cool your home. A recent National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) study found that heat pumps would lower energy bills for most Americans (62% to 95% of households, depending on heat pump efficiency).
- Switch to LED lightbulbs — they use 75% less energy than incandescent/halogen lightbulbs.
- Consider whether solar panels could be an option for your property.
- Place your thermostat on an interior wall in a central area of your home for the best reading.
- If you live in a state with deregulated electricity, shop energy suppliers to find the lowest rates near you.
- Wash your clothes in cold water — this can cut your energy usage in half when doing laundry.
- Bundle up — wear warm clothes and use blankets to avoid turning up the heat.
- Use your dishwasher. Handwashing your dishes is one of those seemingly frugal habits that aren't actually worth it. Not only will washing your dishes in the dishwasher save you more time, but it'll also use less water and save energy. Overall, you'll save money by using the dishwasher vs washing by hand.
Bottom line on whether you should keep your heat on all day
Overall, keeping your heat set to 68°F to 70°F during the day, and 7°F to 10°F lower when you're not home, is the best way to save on heating costs. Purchasing a smart thermostat gives you the option of controlling the heat in your home from your phone, helping you to save money on utility bills during cold spells.
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