Does It Cost More to Leave Your Heat Running in the Winter?

In an effort to knock a few dollars off of their exceedingly high winter energy bills, many homeowners will shut their heating system off completely when they leave for work or school in the morning, and then turn it on again upon their return. Others, meanwhile, will leave their heat on all day to maintain consistent temperatures, not wanting the HVAC system to have to work harder to restore comfortable temperatures every evening. The question is, which method is actually more effective at saving energy and lowering heating costs in the wintertime? Your local experts are here with a few HVAC money-saving tips in Bridgeport, CT that will help you find the approach that is best for your home.

Can you save money by leaving the heat on all day?

Many believe that turning off the heat when you leave the house and then turning it back on again when you return will cause the system to work harder than it would if you simply just left it on all day. If it’s extremely cold outside and your house takes on this chill, it may in fact take more energy to heat your home back up than it would have taken to just let the system run during the day, because it will likely take some time to restore the temperatures. However, although it might seemingly make more sense to leave the heat running all day, the one major drawback is that you won’t be able to take full advantage of the times when energy does not need to be consumed.

Finding the happy medium

Instead of turning your heat off completely or letting it run all day, try lowering the temperatures when the house is empty. Using this setback philosophy, you can program your thermostat to operate at a lower temperature when you are out at work or traveling on the weekends, and then set it to start warming back up to your desired temperatures shortly before you return home. This will allow you to keep energy usage manageable during the times you are out, while ensuring that your home is always temperate and comfortable when you are there. This will also allow you to enjoy savings while minimizing the amount of time the heat will have to run.

Ultimately, the best plan of action for heating your home will be based on several different factors, including the local climate, the size of your HVAC system and the size of the areas that need to be heated.

For additional money-saving tips and expert guidance with determining what is needed to lower your heating costs in Bridgeport, CT, contact the team at BLM Refrigeration Heating & Air Conditioning. With proactive maintenance that will help to keep your system running at optimal efficiency, we will help you get the most out of your system while keeping money in your pocket. Give us a call today to learn more about our services or schedule an appointment—we look forward to working with you soon!

Categorised in: Heating Service

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