The cost-saving benefits of a programmable thermostat can only be achieved when you program it correctly. Without a proper program that uses a conservative approach to heating and cooling, your new thermostat probably won’t save you any money and could even cause you to use more energy. Overall, if you aren’t motivated to cut your energy expenditure to begin with, just installing a programmable thermostat won’t do all the work for you.
Almost half of home energy usage comes from heating and cooling, but sometimes this energy is used to fully heat or cool spaces that don’t need optimum heating, either because no one’s home or everyone is sleeping. It can be hard
to remember to adjust the thermostat appropriately when you leave the house for the day. This is where the programmable thermostat is most helpful. If you create daily and weekly programs that fit your habits and schedule, you’ll save the most energy.
For optimal energy savings year round, follow these tips:
- Set your thermostat to 68 degrees in the winter, and set it several degrees lower if you’re away or sleeping.
- In the summer, set your thermostat to 78 degrees while you’re home, and increase the temperature when you’re away.
- Set your programmable thermostat to return to your comfort settings shortly before you arrive home and get up in the morning.
- Make sure you use energy-saving settings for at least eight-hour blocks of time, for maximum savings.
- Avoid using the “hold feature,” which turns off the program temporarily, since this will defeat the thermostat’s purpose.
One of the more effective ways to save energy is having an attitude towards your home that is motivated to increase efficiency and cut costs. For any questions about optimizing the energy efficiency of your home, please contact us at Geisel Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. We have a long history of providing the Greater Cleveland area with superior service in home comfort.
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Our goal is to help educate our customers in Cleveland, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about programmable thermostatand other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
For those Do it Yourselfers who would rather take control of your own indoor comfort, you can shop our online store for replacement parts, products and accessories!
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