New Year’s Resolution: Win Thermostat Wars

First of all, welcome to 2012!

To kick off this year, we wanted to start with a New Year’s Resolution.  Ahhh….New Year’s resolutions….I have made many over the years, but never seem to stick with them.  (I’m sure many of you have been in a similar boat.)

Simply put, I get lazy.  That’s why I’m going with a convenient and easy resolution this year …one that will bring out my competitive side which is always good when I want to stick with something….did I mention it will save me money?!

As you all may recall from a previous post, I recently got married.  Since I insist on practicing what I preach (and saving money!), I keep my thermostat at 68 degrees during the winter for maximum efficiency.  We all know that heating/cooling accounts for about 45% of the bill!  This seems like a no brainer….you adjust the thermostat…that’s it!  No extra money spent.

But it seems some people (ahem, new husband) do not share my conservation enthusiasm.

There have been multiple mornings when I will say to myself, wow, it feels really warm for 68 degrees!  False.  Somehow the thermostat has magically set itself at 72 degrees.  I of course put it back at 68 degrees.

We have continued this struggle without ever mentioning it for some time now.  I have instead made it a habit to check the thermostat throughout the day to make sure it is at 68 degrees.

Now a marriage counselor may tell you that you need to compromise, but I’m going to tell you that for maximum savings, I must win the thermostat wars.  If you find yourself in a similar situation but cave and compromise, just remember that every degree is a 1-3% savings on your bill.  Good Luck!!