What Thermostat Schedule Should NJ Homeowners Use This Winter?

The simplest winter thermostat schedule for a New Jersey home is to set the temperature 7 to 10 degrees lower for 8 hours a day, while you sleep or while the house is empty. The U.S. Department of Energy says that setback can save up to about 10% a year on heating and cooling. The clocks go back this weekend, and while you are resetting them it is a good time to program the thermostat too.

Key takeaways

• The U.S. Department of Energy says lowering the thermostat 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours a day can save up to about 10% a year on heating and cooling.
• A programmable or smart thermostat does the setback automatically, so the savings do not depend on anyone remembering.
• Heat pumps are the exception; the DOE notes that large setbacks can make them run inefficiently, so use a smaller setback or a thermostat designed for heat pumps.
• FIXALL installs and programs thermostats, and the Comfort Club at $9 per month includes a yearly heating tune-up so the system is ready for the schedule.

What temperature should I set my thermostat to in winter?

Pick a comfortable temperature for the hours you are home and awake, then drop it 7 to 10 degrees for the 8 hours you are asleep or out. The U.S. Department of Energy’s guidance is built around that setback, not around a single magic number. Many households settle around 68 degrees while awake and lower at night, but the setback is what saves the money.

Comfort matters, so adjust by a degree at a time. If the house feels cold at 68, try 69 or 70 and keep the setback the same. The 8-hour drop is where the savings come from, and that works at any daytime setting.

Does turning the heat down at night actually save money?

Yes. The DOE says a 7 to 10 degree setback for 8 hours a day can save up to about 10% a year on heating and cooling, and the longer the setback, the more it saves. The reason is simple physics: a house loses heat faster when the gap between inside and outside is larger, so keeping the inside cooler for part of the day cuts the loss.

The old idea that the furnace “works harder to catch up” and cancels out the savings is a myth for furnaces and boilers. The energy used to reheat the house is less than the energy saved while it sat at the lower setting. Heat pumps are the one real exception, covered below.

What thermostat schedule should I program?

A simple four-period weekday schedule covers most Monmouth County households. Use this as a starting checklist and adjust the times to your routine:

• Wake: raise to your daytime temperature 30 minutes before the first alarm.
• Leave: drop 7 to 10 degrees when the last person leaves for work or school.
• Return: raise it back 30 minutes before the first person gets home.
• Sleep: drop 7 to 10 degrees at bedtime and hold it there overnight.

On weekends, skip the “leave” period if people are home. If the house is empty for a long weekend, hold the lower setting the whole time, but keep it above 55 degrees to protect the pipes. For the rest of the cold-weather prep, see our guide to winterizing home pipes in New Jersey.

Is a smart thermostat worth it over a programmable one?

A programmable thermostat captures most of the savings if you program it and leave it alone. A smart thermostat adds a phone app, learns your routine, and adjusts when it senses nobody is home, which helps households whose schedule changes week to week. It can also show you how many hours the system ran, which is useful for spotting a problem early.

Either one beats a manual thermostat that gets nudged up and forgotten. FIXALL installs and programs both types and checks that the thermostat is matched to your furnace, boiler or heat pump, which matters more than the brand on the box.

What about heat pumps and boilers?

Heat pumps need a gentler schedule. The DOE notes that a deep setback can cause a heat pump to switch on its backup electric heat when it recovers, which costs more than the setback saved. Use a smaller setback of a few degrees, or a thermostat designed to manage heat pump recovery.

Hot-water boilers with radiators or baseboards respond slowly, so give them a longer recovery window than a forced-air furnace before you want the house warm. The setback still saves; it just needs a head start. A good thermostat install sets that recovery time for you.

What affects the price of a thermostat install?

The thermostat itself is the main variable, from a basic programmable model to a smart unit with remote sensors. Wiring is the second: many older Monmouth County homes lack the common wire that smart thermostats need, and running one or adding an adapter is part of the job. Multi-zone systems and heat pumps with backup heat need thermostats built for them, which cost more than a single-stage model.

FIXALL gives upfront pricing before work starts, so you know the full cost of the thermostat and the install together before anything is mounted.

When to call FIXALL

• You want a smart thermostat installed and programmed correctly for your system, not just screwed to the wall. Pair it with an HVAC tune-up so the furnace or boiler is ready for the season.
• Your thermostat schedule is set but some rooms stay cold or the system short-cycles. FIXALL serves Freehold and every town in Monmouth County.
• Your heat pump’s backup heat keeps running and the bill shows it. That is a thermostat and setup problem we can fix.

Frequently asked questions

What should I set my thermostat to in winter in New Jersey?
Set a comfortable daytime temperature, many homes use around 68 degrees, and lower it 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours a day while asleep or away. The U.S. Department of Energy says that setback can save up to about 10% a year on heating and cooling.

Does a programmable thermostat work with a boiler?
Yes. Boilers with radiators or baseboard heat respond more slowly than a furnace, so give the thermostat a longer recovery window before you want the house warm. FIXALL can program the schedule so the house is up to temperature when you wake.

Should I turn the heat down when I go away for the holidays?
Yes, but keep it above 55 degrees so the pipes in exterior walls do not freeze. A smart thermostat lets you check the house temperature from your phone and warm it up before you get home.

Call or text (732) 991-2211 to have a thermostat installed and programmed, or reach FIXALL at callfixall.com/contact. Upfront pricing before any work starts, on thermostats and tune-ups alike.