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Every year, as the weather turns colder, many people commit to turning the thermostat down for the entire winter to save money and energy. But it usually does not end well, no matter how well-intentioned we may be.  To be honest, there is a tendency in the colder months to set the thermostat warmer than is necessary to offset the colder outside air and to warm up faster when coming into the home.  In the warmer months we tend to do the opposite, turning the thermostat down to bone chilling temperatures so we get cooler faster when we come into the house from the balmy weather.

But one of the easiest ways to save money is to turn down your thermostat. If you turn the temperature down for more than 8 hours at a time, in fact, you can save up to 1 percent on your energy bill per degree you turn the thermostat down.

One of the easiest ways to manage the temperature in the home is with a smart thermostat. These thermostats will keep the temperature at home in check and it will optimize the temperature settings based on the routine of your home so you never have to think about that thermostat again.

However, just because a smart thermostat will regulate the temperature in the home does not mean that some of keeping comfortable will depend on you.  If the thermostat sets the temperature lower at night when you are asleep and you tend to feel the cold use some blankets to stay warm. Or after cooking with your oven keep the door open to let the heat escape into the air to help your heating system heat the home. Weatherization steps like caulking will also help prevent the heating system from working overtime. Small steps like these can really pay off and help keep that thermostat setting steady.