Daylight Saving Time (DST) essentially adds an additional hour of daylight to each day immediately before and after the summer solstice. This is a great way to “extend” the day and maximize time under the sun, but has some additional benefits when it comes to saving energy, as well. Of course, DST doesn’t actually “create” an extra hour in the day. This temporary re-arrangement of timekeeping simply optimizes our daily schedules in order to take advantage of the most daylight.
Our experts from OK Heating and Air Conditioning have found some interesting HVAC-related benefits of setting your clocks an hour ahead, and we discuss them all below.
Adjust the Thermostat
On average, a medium-sized central HVAC system will use up to 5 kilowatts of power hourly. Typically, AC systems run continuously for 9 hours every day during the summer. If your unit is connected to a #products-61″>programmable thermostat, then this 9-hour duration is pretty set throughout the day. Include your thermostat settings when you’re moving all clocks one hour ahead if you don’t have a smart thermostat that adjusts automatically. This will help ensure efficiency and essentially subtract an hour per day of power usage.
Temperature Levels
DST provides an extra hour of daylight every day for about eight months. This means you can set your temperature levels to adjust accordingly and reap the benefits that the difference brings.
Adjusting your central HVAC system’s temperature settings down a few degrees might not seem like a huge change, but this starts a trickle effect that, after a while, can snowball into considerable savings over each billing cycle.
Comfortably Cool
As hotter months approach, you may want to program your central HVAC system to change about an hour before you wake up or get home from work. This ensures that your home will feel comfortably cool (or warm, depending on the season) the minute you arrive.
More Energy-Efficient Solutions from OK Heating
Enjoy more and better energy efficiency solutions for your HVAC units with our specialists from OK Heating. Call us at (925) 337-8319 or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment today.