How Programmable Thermostats Save Money

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, cooling and heating costs are the primary cost on your energy bill. If you don’t already know, using programmable thermostats saves money. Sure, you can set your thermostat and turn it all the way or all the way down when you leave the home to avoid the air or the heat from kicking on, but installing and using a programmable thermostat puts your heating and cooling needs on autopilot, which piles up the cost savings for you.

How Programmable Thermostats Work to Save Money

When you install the programmable thermostat, take the time to read the manual. The manual takes you systematically through setting the thermostat in order to maximize your savings. Programmable thermostats save money by providing you with four pre-programmed setting options: home in the summer, away in the summer, home in the winter and away in the winter.

Start by sitting down and creating a working schedule of the hours that your family is home and the hours when nobody is in the home. Once you determine your schedule, you can then set to work on coordinating your family’s schedule with thermostat settings for the air conditioner or heater. For example, if your family gets up at 6 a.m. and leaves by 8 a.m. you may have the thermostat set at 70 degrees at 6 a.m. and adjust to 78 degrees at 8 a.m. when everyone is out of the home. If nobody comes home until 6 p.m. then you can set the programmable thermostat to adjust back down to 70 degrees at this time.

Programmable thermostats save you money because it automatically adjusts the temperature setting according to your family’s needs. Rather than have the air or heat constantly running when it is unnecessary or requiring constant manual adjustments to the home temperature, you end up saving on your energy costs.

Once you set the programmable thermostat, leave it alone and allow it to do its work. Only when it is on autopilot, without human intervention, will it work at its best and allow you to maximize your utility savings.

How to Set Programmable Thermostats and Let it Work

Energy Star suggests a two-step process to setting and leaving alone a programmable thermostat. First, make sure that the thermostat is installed properly. Since most consumers are not specialist, Energy Star says the best way to ensure proper installation is to have a HVAC contractor install the unit for you. Second, follow the setting guide that comes along with your unit to ensure you properly set and use the thermostat.

As long as you follow these rules, installing and using programmable thermostats can be a big money saver in your home or business. a programmable thermostat can be set to coordinate with your life and the times when you are in and out of the home or office. The key is to set the thermostat properly and then leave it alone to do what it does best—put your energy savings on autopilot.