Heating and cooling make up the largest share of energy use in most Texas homes, and the thermostat decides how much of that energy you actually spend. The good news is that a smart schedule can trim your bills without making your family uncomfortable. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, turning your thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees for about eight hours a day can save up to 10 percent a year on heating and cooling. If your system seems to run all the time no matter what you set, start with our guide on why your furnace won’t turn off, because a forgotten Hold setting is a common culprit.
Here is how to build a thermostat schedule that fits a Burleson household, whether you have a basic programmable model or a smart thermostat.
The Basic Idea: Comfort When You Need It, Savings When You Don’t
A good schedule follows your daily routine. You set comfortable temperatures for the hours when people are home and awake, and let the temperature drift a few degrees when everyone is asleep or away. Your heating or cooling system then works less during those hours, which is where the savings come from.
A common myth is that a home uses more energy “catching up” after a setback than it saves. In reality, a house loses heat (or gains it, in summer) more slowly when the indoor temperature is closer to the outdoor temperature, so a setback period nearly always saves energy overall.
Recommended Temperatures for Burleson Homes
The Department of Energy suggests about 68°F in winter while you are awake and at home, and about 78°F in summer when you need cooling, with larger setbacks while you sleep or are away. Here is a sample schedule based on that guidance that many North Texas families use as a starting point:
| Time of day | Winter (Heat) | Summer (Cool) |
|---|---|---|
| Wake up (6–8 a.m.) | 68–70°F | 76–78°F |
| Away at work or school (8 a.m.–5 p.m.) | 60–62°F | 82–85°F |
| Evening at home (5–10 p.m.) | 68–70°F | 76–78°F |
| Sleeping (10 p.m.–6 a.m.) | 62–65°F | 78–82°F |
Adjust these numbers to your family. A home with a newborn, elderly relatives or pets that stay inside all day may need smaller setbacks, and that is perfectly fine. Even a 3 to 4 degree setback adds up over a season.
Step-by-Step: How to Set Up Your Schedule
- Map your week. Write down when people wake up, leave, come home and go to bed. Note how weekends differ.
- Choose the right program type. A 7-day thermostat lets every day be different, a 5-2 model has one weekday schedule and one weekend schedule, and a 5-1-1 model separates Saturday and Sunday.
- Program the transitions early. Schedule the temperature change 20 to 30 minutes before you wake up or arrive home, so the house is already comfortable.
- Set the fan to Auto. In a humid Texas summer, Auto lets moisture drain off the indoor coil between cycles; running the fan On all the time can make the house feel muggy and costs more electricity.
- Use Vacation or Away mode for trips instead of a permanent Hold. In winter, never set it below about 55°F while you are away, to protect pipes during a hard freeze.
- Review it twice a year. Switch from Heat to Cool (or back) at the change of seasons, replace the batteries, and adjust the schedule if your routine has changed.
Special Tips for Texas Summers
Summer is when most Burleson households spend the most on energy, and a few habits make a big difference:
- Pre-cool before the afternoon peak. Electricity demand in Texas peaks on hot afternoons, roughly 3 to 7 p.m. Cooling the house a little more in the late morning, then letting it drift up a degree or two during the peak, can lower costs on time-of-use plans and eases strain on the grid.
- Raise the setpoint gradually when you are away. Letting the house climb into the mid-80s is fine for most homes, but very large swings can leave the AC running for hours in the evening on a 105-degree day.
- Use ceiling fans. A fan lets you feel comfortable at a setpoint about 4 degrees higher. Turn fans off when you leave the room; they cool people, not rooms.
- Check for bill-credit programs. Some Texas electricity providers offer credits if you allow small, automatic thermostat adjustments during grid emergencies.
If You Have a Heat Pump
Heat pumps need a gentler approach in winter. If the temperature setback is large, the thermostat may call on the electric backup heat strips to recover quickly, and those strips use far more electricity than the heat pump itself. Keep winter setbacks to about 2 to 3 degrees, or use a thermostat designed for heat pumps with “adaptive recovery,” which brings the temperature up slowly without triggering the strips. Not sure what you have? Our comparison of air handlers vs furnaces explains the difference, and our heat pump service page covers repair and setup.
Programmable vs. Smart Thermostats
A programmable thermostat follows the schedule you enter. It works well when your routine is predictable, but only if you actually program it; many are left on Hold for years.
A smart thermostat connects to Wi-Fi so you can adjust it from your phone. Many models learn your routine, use your phone’s location to switch to Away mode automatically, send filter reminders, and show reports of how long your system ran. ENERGY STAR estimates certified smart thermostats save about 8 percent on heating and cooling bills. Installation details matter, especially the common wire (C-wire) and heat pump settings, so a professional smart thermostat installation helps you get the full benefit.
Common Thermostat Mistakes to Avoid
- Cranking the temperature way up or down. Setting the thermostat to 85 degrees will not heat the house faster; it just overshoots and wastes energy.
- Leaving it on Hold. A permanent hold overrides the whole schedule.
- Switching modes too quickly. Most systems have a built-in compressor delay of about five minutes. If the AC seems slow to start after a mode change, read why your AC won’t turn on after heater service.
- A thermostat in the wrong spot. Direct sunlight, a nearby lamp or TV, a drafty door or a kitchen can fool the sensor. It should be on an interior wall, about five feet up, away from heat sources.
- Ignoring the house itself. No schedule can make up for heat pouring through a poorly insulated ceiling. Our guide to the best ceiling insulation types explains how to fix that.
Pair Your Schedule With a Healthy System
A thermostat schedule saves the most when the equipment behind it runs efficiently. A spring AC tune-up and a fall heating inspection keep both systems ready, and our checklist on how to prepare your heating system for winter includes testing the thermostat before the first cold front. If certain rooms stay uncomfortable no matter how you set it, our guide to common heating system problems can help you track down the cause.
Need Help Setting Up Your Thermostat in Burleson?
Whether you want to upgrade to a smart thermostat, fix a schedule that never seems to work, or find out why your system cannot keep up, HVAC Repair Burleson can help. Call (817) 839-0304 or request service online.
