Can You Benefit From a Programmable Thermostat?

Installing a new programmable thermostat is a great way for many homeowners to save energy and money by reducing the amount of energy used for home heating and cooling.  However, not every home can benefit from a programmable thermostat so before you make the investment, make sure a programmable thermostat would be good energy saving device for your home.

Programmable thermostats save energy by automatically adjusting your temperature setting to an energy saving setting while you are asleep at night or away from home during the day.  It is possible to get similar results by manually changing the setting on your thermostat, but programmable thermostats work well because they automate the process so you don’t have to remember to change the setting when you go to bed or leave for work.

In addition, programmable thermostats increase your comfort because they can be programmed to return to the more comfortable setting shortly before you return from work in the evening or get out of bed in the morning. The temperature in your home will be at a comfortable setting and you won’t have to wait while your home heats up or cools down.

The biggest savings are experienced by families who are out of the home during the weekday.  If a family member is at home during the day, your energy savings will be limited to the overnight hours.  Also, savings are best in climates that use both heating and air conditioning.  If your home is located in a climate where you rarely use the air conditioner or furnace, your savings will be reduced.  Finally, programmable thermostats don’t work well on heat pumps running in heat mode.

Heat pumps rely on inefficient electric heating strips to make large temperature adjustments and your savings from the energy saving setting will be offset by the energy used bringing your home back up to the comfort setting.   Your local HVAC contractor carries a wide selection of HVAC accessories and optional components like programmable thermostats or you can fine one at your local home improvement center.

Comments are closed.