Surprisingly, most people are only using about 30% of their programmable thermostats’ full potential and have schedules set for optimal use. Here are the reasons why you need a programmable thermostat in your home and how to use it to save you money and energy.
How Programmable Thermostats Save You Money
The temperature in your house does not need to stay the same day and night. During the night, when everyone is sleeping, or when you’re on vacation or at work, you can lower the temperature, thereby saving money. Unfortunately, constantly changing the thermostat whenever you leave the house can get annoying, and you’re also likely to forget. Programmable thermostats offer a way to set a personalized schedule that suits your family’s needs. During the winter, the temperature lowers when you leave and rises when you return, and vice versa during the summer.
You can save up to $180 a year when programmable thermostats are used efficiently. Of course, this also depends on a few factors, including house size, unit size, and quality of insulation.
How Programmable Thermostats Can Save You Energy
With today’s escalating energy costs, anywhere you can save is a plus! Did you know that you could save one percent of energy for every degree you turn down the thermostat? This is good news for your wallet and the planet. Additionally, it is essential to keep up with the maintenance of your heating and cooling systems. Newer systems can send notifications to your phone when filters need to be changed or when services are needed. The more efficient your system is operating equates to less energy consumption, more comfortable temperatures, and additional cost savings.
How Much Should You Lower or Raise the Temperatures?
Having established that changing your thermostat temperature when you’re not home or fast asleep, is ideal for saving energy and money, the next question is how much should you adjust it? Lowering or raising the temperature too drastically can cause stress on your systems, while not changing it enough won’t save you as much money or energy. Experts suggest changing the temperature by 10 degrees. In winter, set it 10 degrees colder, and in summer, go 10 degrees warmer.