[Carl in Tampa]

Are you turning the heat off to save money? With the relatively few really frigid nights during a Florida winter, I doubt that you are saving much. Comfort means more to me than the few dollars more per year that staying warm costs.

The temperature displayed on your thermostat may also be a little off. You might want to purchase a traditional glass tube thermometer to get a more accurate reading.

And remember that the ambient temperature shown on the thermostat is the temperature in the room where the thermostat is located; it may be quite different in other rooms in the house.

And, also, the thermostats are calibrated to turn on and off within a two degree range of their settings, further confusing things.

Remember, your house is like a thermos bottle; it is insulated to keep your house cool in summer and warm and winter. As the old joke goes: How does it know?