Your best bet to keeping your home heated during the winter months is to set your comfort level temperature.
What is that number? 72? 75? 80?? Hey, I won’t judge. OK, maybe a little bit. Especially if you’re leaning toward that 80. Ugh. I’m sweating just thinking about it.
Hopefully by now you know the benefits of keeping your thermostat set to programs that rotate around your days. At work between 9 and 5? Well then, you can save some money and energy by setting the temperature to a reasonable level while you’re not home. Then, assuming you’ll want to lounge around after work in comfort, set the program to kick in with higher temperature that’s waiting for you when you get home. Just be sure to drop it again before bed, since there’s a good chance you’ll be huddling under some heavy covers.
But the one thing that certainly won’t heat the home faster or keep it warmer for longer periods of time, is to raise the temperature to a higher number than you’d prefer. Hit the number that works for you and then Step. Away. From the thermostat. That’s right. You, right there, thinking you can warm up faster with just two more pushes of the button. I see what you’re doing. It’s not going to work.
Point is, yes, your home will heat up to a higher temp, but unless you’re going to maintain it at that level (or a number slightly lower) your home won’t maintain that level for long. So do yourself, and your energy bill, a favor, and don’t push the numbers higher than they need to go.