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How Much Does it Cost to Increase Your Heater by One Degree?

Should you throw on an extra layer or turn the thermostat up?  It’s on everyone’s mind this time of year.  The temperatures are dropping and as we attempt to stay warm, we consider the trade off between staying warm and saving money.

If you’re like most people, you know that turning your heater up costs more money, but you aren’t sure how much money it will actually cost you.  All you know is that when it’s cold outside and your heater is running, your utility bill at the end of the month hurts a little more than it normally does.

The good news is that the smart people over at EnergyHub have figured out, on average, how much it costs you to increase your heater by one degree.

The answer?  3%

What that means is if you run your heater one degree warmer over the course of a month, it will raise your heating bill by 3% for that month.  So, if your average bill is $50 per month, if you raise it by two degrees, your bill will be about $53.

Now, it’s worth mentioning that there are many variables to this.  For example, if you have an energy efficient furnace, it will cost you less.  Also, if it is especially cold outside, it will cost you more to use your heater to begin with, so raising it a degree during a winter storm will cost you even more.

This is one reason a programmable thermostat is extremely helpful for saving you money.  If you can program your heater to be at a much lower temperature while you are sleeping or while you are at work, you have the opportunity to save a lot of money.

Below are two excellent videos to help you save money on your utility bill.  In the first, Project Manager Joey Gibellino talks about strategies for how to program your thermostat.  In the second, Owner Kathy Puig shares some of the features of the Nest Learning Thermostat.

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