For the past 15 winters I have kept my house at 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes, it is pretty warm for most people, but I am a tropical island girl and love to roam the house barefoot, in short sleeves, and shorts. We also have a parrot who starts shivering and sneezing when she gets too cold. This winter, things are different.
We invested in a Honeywell programmable thermostat almost like this one
My daughter has to be in school by 7:15 a.m. and she finds it hard to leave her nice, warm bed so early in the morning. During the weekdays, the thermostat is set to “Wake” at 5:15 for 76 degrees. This seems to thaw everyone out of their deep sleep as they start kicking off their bed covers as the house gets warmer. The thermostat is set to “Leave” at 72F while the humans are gone. The dog loves the cooler temperatures in the house, while the parrot has a heated perch and layered cage covers to keep her warm. About 15 minutes before the children return, the thermostat triggers “Return” and raises the temperature to 74F. “Sleep” sets the overnight temperature back to 72F at midnight. I am a night owl, and having the house go cold forces me to go to bed by around 12:30!
For the weekend, “Wake”, “Leave”, and “Return” triggers are set to the same temperature – 74F starting at 7:30 a.m. – and “Sleep” sets it to 72F at midnight.
What about you? Do you have any tips to share on what you are doing to lower your heating bills?
