Alberta doesn’t do subtle when it comes to cold weather. The furnace goes from off to essential in about a week, and most people don’t touch their thermostat again until spring.
That’s the problem with thermostats. Set it once, forget about it, and you end up paying to keep an empty house just as toasty as if you were home all day. It’s an easy oversight, but it’s costing you. Here is how to take back control of your heating bill this winter.
Find your happy number
20°C is the sweet spot for a chilly day in Alberta. It’s that perfect baseline where you can relax comfortably without needing to bundle up indoors.
That’s your daytime number. The real savings happen once you start adjusting it to your schedule.
Build a schedule, not a guessing game
Smart thermostats let you set different temps for different chunks of the day. Keep it simple:
- Home and awake: 20-21°C
- Asleep: 17-18°C
- Nobody home: 17-18°C
Dial it back a few degrees while you’re asleep or out, and you can cut an average of 8% off your heating bill without changing anything else.
Just keep the adjustments moderate. Going more than 5°C below your baseline can cause condensation to build up on your windows. A consistent adjustment is far more effective than a massive drop.
Cranking it up doesn’t actually work
It’s a common habit: you walk into a chilly house, see the thermostat sitting at 17°C, and instinctively crank it up to 24°C to get a quick blast of heat.
Unfortunately, heating systems don’t work that way. Standard furnaces operate at a single speed. Setting a higher target temperature won’t make the air warm up any faster. It forces the system to run longer, overheating your home and inflating your energy bill.
Instead of adjusting on the fly, use your programmable schedule to give your home a 20-minute head start before you arrive.
Let the schedule run itself
A standard programmable thermostat works on a rigid timer. You pick the exact times you want the temperature to change, which works great if your life runs like clockwork.
If your days are more unpredictable, a smart thermostat picks up the slack. It learns your habits, adjusts without being asked, and can even tell when you’ve left the house.
Still working off an old manual dial, or a programmable thermostat you never actually got around to programming? ATCO Energy installs smart thermostats across Alberta, and it’s a much better time to sort that out now before the first real cold snap arrives.
FAQs about smart thermostat temperature
What’s the best thermostat temperature for winter in Alberta?
Somewhere around 20-21°C while you’re home and awake is the sweet spot for most households.
How much can I lower my thermostat at night?
A setback to 17-18°C is common and works well. Go much lower and you risk running into comfort or moisture problems.
How much money does a thermostat setback actually save?
A well-timed setback can save around 8% on heating costs, depending on how big the drop is and how long it lasts.
Does cranking the thermostat up heat my house faster?
No. Furnaces heat at a fixed rate no matter what number you set. Turning it way up just means it runs longer once you’re already comfortable.
Is a smart thermostat worth it over a regular programmable one?
Depends on your routine. If it changes a lot day to day, a smart thermostat is useful since it adjusts on its own instead of sticking to a fixed schedule.
When should I set up my winter thermostat schedule?
Earlier than you’d think, ideally before the cold actually hits. It’s a lot less annoying to sort out now than mid cold-snap.
