World

Cool Comfort, Lower Bills: Finding the Perfect Summer Thermostat Setting

Published

4 weeks ago

August 21, 2024

As the summer sun blazes, finding the perfect balance between staying cool and managing your energy bills can feel like a never-ending struggle. The thermostat, often the unsung hero of our comfort, plays a crucial role in this balancing act — setting it too low can lead to sky-high energy costs, while a higher setting might leave you sweltering — but finding that sweet spot doesn’t have to be a guessing game.

“With a bit of knowledge and a few smart adjustments, you can enjoy a comfortably cool home without the shock of high utility bills,” assures Melanie Powers, president of Goodberlet Home Services. Whether you’re dealing with an old manual thermostat or the latest smart model, understanding how to optimize your settings can make a significant difference.

Understanding thermostat basics

Understanding the basics of your thermostat is essential for effective temperature management and energy savings. There are three primary types of thermostats to consider. Manual thermostats are the simplest and most budget-friendly, but they require you to adjust the temperature manually each time and lack the convenience of automated adjustments.

Programmable thermostats, on the other hand, allow you to set specific temperatures for different times of the day or week. This means you can reduce cooling when you’re not at home and increase it before you return, helping to conserve energy and lower bills.

The most advanced option is the smart thermostat, which can be controlled remotely through a smartphone app and often comes with features like learning your schedule and providing energy usage reports. Smart thermostats can even integrate with other smart home devices for improved efficiency.

The thermostat setting you choose affects your energy consumption significantly. “Lower settings make your cooling system work harder, increasing energy use and costs,” shares Powers, “while higher settings reduce energy consumption but may impact comfort if set too high.” Finding the right balance is key to maximizing comfort while minimizing costs.

Ideal thermostat settings for summer

Finding the right thermostat setting for summer is crucial for balancing comfort and energy efficiency. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, “You can save as much as 10 percent a year on heating and cooling by simply turning your thermostat back 7°-10°F for 8 hours a day from its normal setting.” This temperature is warm enough to keep your cooling system from overworking while still being cool enough to maintain comfort during the heat of summer.

“The problem is, you don’t want to overwork your air conditioner because that’s where problems come in,” Powers notes. “AC units are designed to make your homes roughly 20 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than outdoor temperatures, so even if temperatures are in the 90s — say, 98° F — you shouldn’t set your thermostat any lower than 78° F.”

It’s also important to consider factors that influence the ideal setting, such as room size, insulation quality, and outside temperature. Homes with better insulation may remain comfortable at higher thermostat settings, while those with less insulation may require a lower setting to maintain comfort.

By adjusting your thermostat based on these factors and following these guidelines, you can achieve a comfortable indoor environment while keeping your energy bills in check.

Tips for maximizing efficiency

Maximizing your thermostat’s efficiency involves more than just setting it to the right temperature. Here are several strategies to help you get the most out of your cooling system while keeping energy costs down.

● Using programmable and smart features: Programmable and smart thermostats offer features that can greatly enhance efficiency. With a programmable thermostat, you can set specific temperatures for different times of the day or week, ensuring that your home is cooled only when necessary. For example, you can program it to raise the temperature during the day when you’re at work and lower it just before you return home. Smart thermostats take this a step further by learning your routines and adjusting settings automatically. They can also be controlled remotely via smartphone apps, allowing you to make adjustments on the go.

● Enhancing home insulation and ventilation: Proper insulation and ventilation are crucial for maintaining an efficient cooling system. Good insulation helps keep the cool air inside and the hot air outside, reducing the workload on your air conditioner, so ensure your home is well-insulated by checking windows, doors, and attic spaces for any gaps. Additionally, proper ventilation can help distribute cool air more evenly throughout your home, reducing the need for excessive cooling.

● Maintaining your HVAC system: Regular maintenance of your HVAC system is essential for optimal performance. Schedule annual professional inspections to ensure your system is running efficiently and address any potential issues before they become significant problems. Simple maintenance tasks, such as cleaning or replacing air filters, can also improve efficiency and extend the life of your system. A clean filter allows for better airflow and can reduce the strain on your air conditioner, leading to lower energy consumption.

Finding the perfect thermostat setting for summer is more than just a matter of comfort; it’s a key factor in effectively managing your energy bills. By setting your thermostat to no more than 20 degrees Fahrenheit lower than the outdoor temperature, as Powers suggests, when you’re at home and adjusting it to higher temperatures while you’re away or asleep, you can strike a balance between staying cool and saving on energy costs. Utilizing programmable and smart thermostat features allows for customized temperature management, further enhancing efficiency.

Additionally, improving your home’s insulation, ensuring proper ventilation, and maintaining your HVAC system are essential steps in maximizing your cooling system’s performance. With these strategies, you can enjoy a comfortably cool home throughout the summer while keeping your energy bills under control.

“Remember,” Powers concludes, “small adjustments and mindful practices can lead to significant savings and contribute to a more sustainable lifestyle.” So, take the time to assess and adjust your thermostat settings — your wallet and the environment will thank you.

World

Creating Better Hiring Practices: How KENTECH Can Improve New Employees

Published

37 mins ago

September 15, 2024

Rosario Farell

Although some may think background checks are only necessary for high-security jobs like government positions or teaching roles, most employers could benefit from the additional insights that a background check provides. In addition to providing information about an applicant’s criminal history, employers can use background checks to understand their abbreviated credit history or confirm information like employment, educational, and licensure history.

Why background checks are important

Unfortunately, while one would like always to assume the best, the truth is that not everyone is telling the truth. A study by SHRM found that 31% of people admitted to lying on resumes, while 56% admitted to “stretching the truth.”

This statistic makes it abundantly clear that business leaders must not feel comfortable simply trusting prospective employees’ applications at face value. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so a background check is used to confirm important information about an applicant and help make a better, more informed hiring decision.

At KENTECH, a leading background check technology provider, the team likes to say that they help their clients hire “not just the best person, but the right person.” After all, the cost of hiring and onboarding a new employee is extensive. Indeed reports that these costs can range from $4,000 to $20,000 per new employee.

If a hiring decision is made, only for that person to not perform well in the role and have to be let go shortly after, that’s a lot of money wasted. It’s better to make sure that you are making the right decision from the beginning.

KENTECH’s revolutionary background check technology

Some of KENTECH’s cutting-edge background check technology solutions include:

● Employment Verification Program (EVP): KENTECH’s Employment Verification Program is a web-based service designed to help streamline the background check process for employers. It gives employers one location through which they can manage the entire process from start to finish. Users can order background checks and verifications and easily manage documents — all from a single, convenient dashboard.

● Report Investigative Scoring Count (RISC): KENTECH’s RISC system helps organizations quickly interpret screening results at a glance. An organization can set up the criteria that matter most to them for screenings, and each background check will be labeled with a color code corresponding to the criteria set by the business. This provides employers with a visual cue for what applications may require closer scrutiny and helps identify which candidates may be most qualified.

● Rapid Application Center (RAC): KENTECH’s Rapid Application Center technology allows applicants to input their information and order background checks themselves. This saves hiring teams time with minimal burden to the applicant. An applicant signs onto a custom-built website and enters their information so administrative staff don’t have to. Administrators then receive email notifications when a candidate posts their information and when results are returned, allowing them to sign on at their convenience to view them.

● Unified Bulk Screening (UBS): For businesses that screen a high volume of candidates, KENTECH also offers a solution called Unified Bulk Screening (UBS). Once business leaders sign into their EVP account and import a list of candidates and their required information, they can see up-to-the-minute results in their portal or opt to receive a consolidated report that displays all results at once.

However, although the primary audience of these developments is the business and its leaders, there are also some significant benefits to the candidate experience. If a background check feels obstructive and frustrating to an applicant, they may form a negative first impression of the business or even give up. The KENTECH team designed their technology to be easy to use, often able to be integrated into the application and HR management system to make the process as seamless and intuitive as possible.

Although background checks might seem like an extreme step for the average employer, with the help of technology like that offered by KENTECH, it doesn’t have to be. KENTECH’s advanced background check technology helps streamline the process, allowing employers to get better insight into their prospective employees without significantly burdening themselves or their applicants. With this, background checks can become a standard, beneficial step in virtually every job application.