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Need Some help With Critical Thinking

Ok, here is my question. How does keeping the temperature in your home lower your energy bill? Here is why I ask.

~I got new windows in the spring. good, much better, insulation. but keeping my temperature low has never been a strong point of mine; I like being able to be comfortable almost naked (if not so) in my house always.

~ So, assuming that there are no random energy leaks in a house (such as doors left open to the outside for hours, or wind gusts inside some how) the energy loss in the house should remain constant; for example, say 1 degree an hour.

~So, with the previous assumption unnegated, how does keeping the temperature lower help? the energy used after, say, 2 hours of operation (a drop of 2 degrees) should be the same whether its from 68-70 or if it is 76-78. the only difference would be if you have a regulating thermostat that drops the temperature when you are not there, in which case the energy expended would be more to raise the temperature back up. if its simple caloric calculations (I have radiant heat, so it literally is the energy to raise a given amount of water by a given amount of heat) then what am I missing when I hear that I should keep the temperature lower in the winter?! Why is this not making sense to me, someone help me out here!

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Permalink Reply by Frank McHugh on November 12, 2010 at 5:07pm

I think you can keep it at 76 and use less energy then most others do at 72 if you have really good insulation.

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Permalink Reply by Park Bierbower on November 12, 2010 at 8:44pm

Well my insulation is alright, new windows since last winter so we'll have to see how it goes. ridiculously warm in here tho, I'm sweating with my shirt off

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Permalink Reply by Gary Burk on November 15, 2010 at 7:13pm

The rate of heat loss is a linear function of the temperature difference between inside and outside. Your improved windows and insulated walls still lose heat to the cold outside ambient. Insukation slows that rate of heat loss but does not stop it - if it did you would not need a heater inside since the heat you have would remain there. So, if it's 40 F out side and 70F inside you have a temperature difference of 30F, if it was 72F inside the difference would be 32F. A 32F difference is would lose about 6.5% more heat (30/32).

There is no god to decide that you've been a good person because you bought new windows and relieve you from the dictates of thermodynamics.

Here are the laws of thermodynamics, somewhat paraphrased for convenience:

1) You can never win, at best you can break even

2) It is only possible to break even at absolute zero.

3) You can not reach absolute zero

Corollary: You will lose.

Regards,
GaryB