You can save about 10 percent utility costs during the cooling months by turning up your thermostat 10 degrees for eight hours a day, according to the federal Energy Savers program. The same applies during the heating months by turning back the thermostat for eight hours. By incorporating the right programmable thermostat into your daily schedule and energy-saving strategy, you can save energy all year long.
Programmable thermostat selection
Find the right unit that fits your needs by following these three steps for your programmable thermostat selection:
- Heating/cooling system: The first step is to make sure that your selected programmable thermostat is compatible with your specific heating and cooling system. For instance, if you have separate heating and cooling systems, you want to choose a thermostat for “one-stage heat or cool,” which should be indicated on the packaging. If you have a multi-stage heating and cooling system, you’ll want to look for “two-stage heat or cool.”
- Programming options: Programmable thermostats are available with four programming options. The basic thermostat programming option is the “1-week” thermostat, which allows you to program up to four daily temperature changes, but it will use that same program every day of the week. “7-day” models allow programming a different schedule for each day of the week. “5-2” models have a separate schedule for weekdays and weekends. The “5-1-1” model is the same, except that Saturday and Sunday may be programmed individually.
- Special features: Programmable thermostats are available with convenient features that simplify use, such as backlit display, battery backup, touchscreen controls, and programming lock to prevent tampering or accidental program adjustment. Radio frequency remote controls are available that allow you to adjust the temperature settings from any location in your home.
Whether a basic model fits your needs, or you’d like a model with all the bells and whistles, installing a programmable thermostat is an affordable way to better control heating and cooling expenses in your home. Contact Ernst Heating & Cooling, and we’ll get you started. We’ve provided quality service and assurance to homeowners in the Metro-East area since 1951.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about programmable thermostat selections and other HVAC topics, visit our blog.
Ernst Heating & Cooling services Hamel, Illinois and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!
| Thermostat image via Shutterstock |