QUESTION:
What temp should you set your thermostat at when you leave for work--something cost-effective that won't freeze my pipes?
ANSWER:
Anywhere from 55-62 degrees will keep your pipes from freezing while cutting your heating bill dramatically.
SOURCES:
Tim Shepherd- Spartan Brentwood Supervisor
PROCESS:
While the weather outside is frightful and inside is so delightful, sooner or later you'll have to brave the blizzard and leave the house.
So what's the best temperature to set the thermostat at while you're at work? A crisp, 55 will do the trick.
Fifty-five degrees Fahrenheit is pretty much the coldest your thermostat will go, and it also is the most cost-effective for when you're not home.
"You don't want to get below 55 degrees in terms of keeping your pipes from freezing," Tim Shepherd, supervisor at Spartan in Brentwood said. "To keep it fairly comfortable and economical you could leave it at 62."
If you think 55 is too risky for your pipes--think again. Shepherd said he's seen pipes freeze with the house set to 75 or 80.
"The pipes that can freeze even when the house is warm but freezing outside are usually in overhangs, or in outside walls not properly insulated," Shepherd said.
Both the U.S. Department of Energy and Pepco agree, setting your house just 7-10 degrees cooler for an 8 hour period will save slash your heating bill by 10 percent.
