How to save with the thermostat
The winter of 2023 , more than other winters, will be characterized by a pressing question: " How to save on heating? ". The significant increase in energy costs makes the search for solutions to save on home heating even more important.
How to save gas in the residential sector
Enea recently presented the study: Actions to reduce the national gas requirement in the residential sector , which indicates a series of administrative measures capable of bringing savings equal to 2.7 billion cubic meters of gas per year .
Added to these is a further saving that comes from defined behavioral measures, for which however we refer directly to the Enea report as they are not zero cost and would require investments.
To conduct the study, Enea took as reference two types of homes representative of the Italian building stock:
- an apartment in a multi-family building (of approximately 100 m2 net) with only the vertical dispersing surfaces as it is located on an intermediate floor;
- a single-family house (186 m2 net), also having a roof and covering dispersing towards the outside
Both houses are served by a traditional gas boiler (24 kW) and are in energy class F.
But what is the link between this study and the use of the thermostat to save money?
The answer lies in the measures that Enea indicates as "administrative":
- Reduction of the winter internal temperature by 1 degree (from 20°C to 19°C)
- Reduction of one hour per day of turning on the system (time and period of switching on are regulated by Presidential Decree 08/26/1993 n. 412)
- 15 day reduction in the switch-on period (one week at the beginning of the period and one at the end)
From this perspective, the role of the thermostat, or rather of the chronothermostat , is central.
How to set the thermostat to save money
As we were saying, rather than a thermostat, it is more correct to talk about a chronothermostat. In fact, the interventions to be carried out are of two types:
- Adjust the comfort temperature at 19°C
- Adjust the switch-on times by setting the comfort temperature only during the hours when we are at home and in any case reducing the total switch-on hours by one hour (compared to the total required by law).
These two settings are not possible with a normal thermostat, with which you can only set the comfort temperature, but only through the use of a chronothermostat. For more information on the difference between the two, you can read: Difference between thermostat and chronothermostat
Following the instructions provided by Enea can lead to a average saving in energy consumption of approximately 17.5% equal to bill reduction of approximately €178 per year at current costs.
It should also be added that using a chronothermostat also allows you to set a reduction temperature , i.e. a temperature below which you never want to go. The benefits? Yes maintains heat and reduces humidity , this translates into a more comfortable environment and lower consumption to reach the comfort temperature at the desired times. To learn more about why this is convenient, you can read this article: How to heat the house while saving .