6 reasons to turn down your thermostat

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Everyone knows that turning down your thermostat in the winter helps the environment as well as your energy bill, right? But did you know there are other benefits to lowering the temperature a couple degrees?

According to Energy.gov, you can save about 1% on your heating bill for each degree your thermostat is turned down during cold weather – as long as the temperature is changed for a period of 8 hours or more. Your house actually loses heat more slowly if the temperature is lower. That means the myth that tells us that heating your home back up to a comfortable or higher temperature negates energy savings is a misconception. Save money this winter: turn down your heat a couple degrees.

Don’t want to be bothered by changing the temperature two or three times a day? For the same price as an old-fashioned thermostat, Ecothrifty suggests buying a programmable one that can be set to automatically change the temperature at pre-determined times so that you never have to come home to a cold house. If you want to spend a little more money, you can get really fancy with touch-screens and computer programming that you can access from your smart phone.

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends setting your thermostat around 70 degrees when you are home and awake and turning it down to 62 degrees when you are out or asleep. This will reduce your use of energy – thus helping out the environment – and lower your bills! However, there are even more benefits to lowering your thermostat in the winter.

In addition to saving money and energy, BrightNest lists four other reasons to turn down the temperature this holiday season.

1. Your plants will live longer. 
If your house is at a temperature below 75 degrees, your plants will be cool enough that they require less water. They will live longer and you won’t have to worry as much if you’re heading out for a holiday vacation.

2. You can lose weight! 
Now, this is not a quick-fix miracle cure. However, it is a fact that you burn more calories when the temperature is lower. If you turn your thermostat below 70 degrees, you can burn up to 100 more calories a day – which, over time, will turn into weight loss!

3. Your fridge and freezer won’t have to work as hard. 
Give your refrigerator and freezer appliances a break – turn down the heat a bit. They will not have to work as hard, which means they won’t need as much maintenance and will have a longer lifespan. (Just remember not to turn the temperature down so low that you have to deal with frozen pipes!)

4. You will get a better night’s sleep.
When your home’s thermostat is turned down about 5 degrees, your body will not take as long to get to its required temperature for your brain to fall asleep. You will fall asleep faster and get a more restful night’s sleep than when your room is too warm.

There you have it: lowering your thermostat this winter can save you money and improve your life in multiple other ways. So why not give it a try? Help out the environment, your own well-being, and your wallet in one simple move: turn down your heat.