Skip to content For months, I kept wondering the same thing:
Why is my electricity bill getting higher when I haven’t changed that much?
I wasn’t suddenly using five new appliances. I wasn’t leaving every light in the house on. And I certainly wasn’t trying to waste electricity.
But the bill kept creeping up.
So I started paying closer attention to the things I was doing every day.
And eventually, I noticed one small habit that I had completely overlooked.
It had to do with something almost every American home uses:
the thermostat.
The mistake I didn’t realize I was making
Like many people, I used to leave my thermostat at roughly the same temperature throughout the day.
If I was home, it stayed there.
If I went out for several hours, it often stayed there.
And at night, I didn’t always change it either.
I assumed that keeping the temperature constant was the easiest option.
But heating and cooling can account for a significant portion of household energy use, which means the way you manage your thermostat can make a real difference to your energy consumption. �
The Department of Energy’s Energy.gov +1
That’s when I started doing something very simple.
I stopped keeping the thermostat at the same setting when nobody needed it.
Instead, I began adjusting the temperature when I was asleep or away from home.
During the summer, that generally means allowing the home to get a little warmer when you’re away rather than cooling an empty house to the same temperature you prefer when you’re home.
During the winter, it’s the opposite: the thermostat can be lowered when you’re sleeping or away.
It sounds almost too simple.
But there is a reason energy experts recommend it.
How much can this actually save?
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can save as much as 10% per year on heating and cooling by turning your thermostat back 7–10°F for about eight hours a day from its normal setting. �
The Department of Energy’s Energy.gov
That doesn’t mean everyone will save exactly 10%.
Your actual savings can vary depending on things such as:
Your climate
The size of your home
Your heating and cooling system
Your insulation
Your thermostat settings
How long you’re away
Your local electricity rates
So I wouldn’t expect a guaranteed amount on your next bill.
But the principle is straightforward:
If your HVAC system doesn’t have to work as hard for hours when you’re asleep or away, it can use less energy.
The easiest way to start
You don’t necessarily need to buy a new device.
If you have a programmable thermostat, you can create a schedule around your normal routine.
For example:
Morning:
Set the temperature to your preferred comfort level when you are home.
Work/school hours:
Adjust it while the house is empty.
Evening:
Return it to a comfortable setting before or around the time you normally get home.
Night:
Use a more energy-conscious setting while you’re sleeping.
A smart thermostat can make this even easier because many models can automatically adjust temperatures according to schedules, occupancy, or whether you’re home or away. ENERGY STAR says certified smart thermostats are independently evaluated using real-world data for energy savings. �
ENERGY STAR
One important exception
