2 Thermostat Setting Mistakes That Are Costing You

August 28, 2015

Want an easy way to save money? Look no further than properly adjusting your humble thermostat. It controls largest part of your Florida electric bill: your air conditioner.

With that in mind, here are 2 ways you may be improperly using your thermostat that’s costing you money every day.

1) Never turning the thermostat up when you go to work

Do you barely touch the thermostat’s temperature setting out of convenience? If so, you’re basically burning money for no reason.

Think about this: Why should you pay to cool your home when you’re not there? Answer: You shouldn’t. Well, at least not as much as when you are there.

It makes sense to keep your AC running to keep humidity levels down to prevent mold growth in your home. But you should at least turn the thermostat up somewhat so your AC isn’t running as much all day long.

Do this: When you leave your home for work (or any time you’re not at home for 8+ hours), turn the thermostat up 5 to 10 degrees. You’ll cut 5% to 10% off your cooling costs.

2) Setting the fan to ON

Your AC’s fan, which circulates air throughout your home, has 2 settings:

  • AUTO — The fan turns on only when your AC needs to cool your home
  • ON — The fan runs 24/7, regardless of whether your home needs cooling or not.

Leaving the fan in the ON setting needlessly runs up your electric bill.

Not only that, but it also:

  • Quickly clogs your air filter
  • Runs down the lifespan of your AC’s fan
  • Increases the humidity in your home, decreasing comfort as a result

A smarter way to set the temperature

Want to really maximize your energy savings and cost cost? Then install and properly program a programmable thermostat, which can save you up to $180 a year, according to ENERGY STAR.


Once properly programed, you won’t have to worry about adjusting the temperature setting when you leave your home. The thermostat will do it for you automatically.

Contact us to install a programmable thermostat in your home.