Thermostat programing and heaters questions

[Jstn]

So I got a new modulated furnace installed (two stage 25k and 40K) with a nice new thermostat that I can program. Now obviously there is a fuel saving to running it at 68 when I am home and 62 ish when I am not. But at the same time the electric heaters of the tank (2 150 jager, 140 gal of water) will be used more. Mind you I live in cold Minnesota, has anyone played with this concept before, is the fuel savings going to make the heaters work to hard and negate the benefit.

I haven't sit down to so a calculation, but was wondering if anyone else has looked into this before?

TIA

 

[Brew12]

So I got a new modulated furnace installed (two stage 25k and 40K) with a nice new thermostat that I can program. Now obviously there is a fuel saving to running it at 68 when I am home and 62 ish when I am not. But at the same time the electric heaters of the tank (2 150 jager, 140 gal of water) will be used more. Mind you I live in cold Minnesota, has anyone played with this concept before, is the fuel savings going to make the heaters work to hard and negate the benefit.

I haven't sit down to so a calculation, but was wondering if anyone else has looked into this before?

TIA

The electric heaters won't have too much of an impact. It boils down to how energy efficient your house is. In a well insulated house, reducing your temp during the day saves very little. In an older drafty house reducing temp can save quite a bit. You save fuel by letting your house drop in temperature. You save a little more fuel by keeping it at a lower temperature. You use extra fuel to bring it back up to temperature. The degree to which this happens is different in every house.
The relatively small amount of water you are heating will have a minimal impact on cost savings.

 

[Jstn]

Good call, my house is from 1902, 1500 ft2, storm windows and original single pane glass. My worst heating bill has been 150ish, mind you last month we had a few days at -10. But I am agreeing with you, the savings of fuel has to be greater than the electrical the heaters use.