This year throughout most of Canada, Daylight Saving Time begins at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday in March – March 11, to be exact. This means most Canadians will “spring forward” on that day, turning their clocks ahead one hour.
When you reset your clocks, you may want to go ahead and reprogram your HVAC system’s programmable thermostat. If you have a smart thermostat, it should adjust for DST by itself, but if you’ve got an energy-saving schedule programmed, you may want to make some adjustments. Here’s why.
Why Adjust Your Thermostat for Energy Savings?
One of the best ways to save energy in your home is to adjust your thermostat to cut back on energy use on those times when you plan to sleep or be away from home. For instance, we recommend setting your thermostat back as much as 10 degrees at night and when you’re at work or school to save energy. Program the thermostat to bump back up to a comfortable level an hour or so before you wake up or plan to return home. Savings could amount to 7-10 percent a year on heating and cooling when you turn the thermostat back 10 degrees for at least eight hours a day. The savings will of course be greater in milder weather, as you will not be able to adjust the thermostat so much when temperatures are colder.
When Daylight Saving Time arrives, you should adjust your thermostat’s schedule, setting it back one hour so it coincides with the correct time. You will want the HVAC system to adjust along with your new schedule for cooling and heating when you get up and leave the house, and when you arrive home and go to bed.
Check Your Thermostat
Although your HVAC technician will check your thermostat during your spring preventative maintenance visit, it’s not a bad idea to check the battery or wiring on your thermostat when you adjust the time on March 11.
For more information on Daylight Saving Time and your thermostat, contact Arpi’s Industries. We’ve served Calgary for more than 50 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide.
