Thermostat Energy Savings Calculator
Estimate the percentage energy savings from adjusting your thermostat setting.
Assumptions used in this calculation
- US Department of Energy rule of thumb: Uses the commonly cited DOE guideline of about 1% savings per degree of setback held for 8 hours, actual savings depend on your home's insulation, climate, and HVAC system.
About this calculator
Turning a thermostat back a few degrees while you're at work or asleep is one of the most commonly recommended energy-saving habits, but most people have no concrete sense of how many dollars that translates to on their actual bill, which makes it easy to skip. This calculator applies the US Department of Energy's widely cited rule of thumb, roughly 1% savings per degree of setback held for about 8 hours, based on your degrees adjusted and hours per day at the new setting, then applies that percentage to your current monthly heating or cooling bill to estimate real dollar savings. It turns an abstract efficiency tip into a concrete monthly figure specific to your own bill size, useful for deciding whether a programmable or smart thermostat schedule is worth setting up, though actual savings still depend on your home's insulation, local climate, and HVAC system efficiency, so treat the dollar figure as a reasonable planning estimate rather than a guarantee.
Worked example
7°F for 8 hrs/day, $150/mo bill
Result: ≈ 7% savings, $10.50/mo
Was this helpful?