After too many complaints about an overheated sleep under a duvet, especially in a hotel where the dreaded duvet guarantees the worst sleep ever from being too hot with it and then too cold without it, this became an opportunity to conserve energy. I saved more than 25% from the same time last February by fine-tuning the programmable thermostat using the duvet as a guide.
Duvets have long been prized for being lightweight, and getting cozy warm quickly. They last decades, too, when properly cared for, and were considered heirlooms. A duvet is just as warm as piling on several wool blankets but without the weight, or bulk. They are ideal where there is poor or unreliable heating, which isn’t the case with central heating, or in a hotel.
But, if the duvet is simply doing what it is supposed to do, then it made sense to lower the temperature when sleeping under the duvet by programming another time slot in the thermostat. I chose to reduce the temperature by 10% from 21 degrees C (70 degrees F) to 19.5 degrees C (67 degrees F), and adjust it later if need be.
This resulted in a more comfortable sleep. I also got a cue for sleeping in late because I got too hot when the temperature increased for morning activity. The pleasant surprise came with a lower heating bill due to a reduced consumption of 25%. Depending on several factors, you may have more opportunities to reduce your heat consumption, but a 10% reduction for sleep-time is a good place to start.
If the hotel room has a thermostat and a duvet, then automatically reduce the setting by 10% - 15% before sleeping as this will guarantee a better sleep than keeping the set temperature and having a guaranteed miserable sleep with the duvet. In the morning, remember to return the setting.
The programmable thermostat offers an opportunity to fine-tune your lifestyle with the amount of heat you actually need at home that will result in even greater savings. Once you start, you will want to take advantage of this feature with air conditioning, too. Then, extend it to the workplace.
Sharolyn Mathieu Vettese
President
SMV Energy Solutions
SMV Energy Solutions provides simple smart solutions that reduce energy consumption, and which positively impacts your triple bottom line (profit, people, and planet).