When your children are in school and everyone is at work on weekdays, it’s easy to program your thermostat for extended setback periods to save energy. However, once the school year ends and the children are home more during the day, you’ll need to make smart changes to your HVAC schedule to maximize your potential energy savings.

Here are some helpful tips on how to program your thermostat to reap the greatest savings during the summer school break.

Make Sure You Have the Right Thermostat

There are a variety of thermostat models available and different types with specific scheduling options, and it’s essential to have one that matches your HVAC equipment and usual routine. A knowledgeable HVAC pro can advise you on the right type of thermostat for your equipment and scheduling needs, such as one that offers seven-day programming so you can set a different schedule each day of the week. If you want greater ease-of-use, remote accessibility and more fine-tuned system control, consider upgrading to a Wi-Fi or learning thermostat.

Adjust Your Daytime Programming

When school is out, you need to reevaluate your usual daily routine to account for the children being at home and adjust your thermostat programming accordingly. Ideally, you should set the daytime temperature at 78 degrees for periods when the house is occupied on weekdays and weekends. If you’re concerned about losing conditioned air when the kids are running in and out of the house, increase the setting by a couple of degrees and run your ceiling fans to create cooling air movement in occupied rooms.

Program Nightly Temperature Setbacks

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, it’s possible to reduce your annual heating and cooling energy consumption by up to 10 percent by setting daily, eight-hour long temperature adjustment periods. When school’s out and these long daytime periods are impossible to achieve, program your thermostat for 7—10 degree temperature increases each night when everyone is normally sleeping.

For more advice about adjusting your HVAC schedule or help choosing a new thermostat for your Peachtree City home, contact us today at Powers Heating & Air.