If you have a heatpump, moving the setpoint up and down can be expensive because a couple of degree difference between the setpoint and actual temperature can trigger the auxiliary heat, which uses electrical resistance strips to create heat to supplement the compressor. This is an expensive situation. You are better off using the compressor only, which moves heat as opposed to creating it. The "leverage" is roughly 3 to 1. In other words, it takes 1/3 the power to run the compressor to move a unit of heat than to power the auxiliary heating strips to create a unit of heat. You want the system to maintain a fixed temperature in your house using only the compressor. Leaving the setpoint alone is the way to accomplish this.
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Originally Posted by Topspinmo
I find my house very well insulated. But, depends on how big or open your house is IMO. IMO you should set the thermostat during the cold weather and leave it. IMO if you let the house temp. get to low and turn the heat on it just takes long time to bring the house up to steady comfortable temp. So IMO savings may not be that much.
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