Three steps for setting your programmable thermostat
According to a study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, about 90 percent of Americans say they “rarely or never” program their thermostat. That’s a shame, because it’s one of the easiest ways we know to save 10 percent or more on your energy costs.
Don’t let programming your thermostat intimidate you! Just follow the three steps below and you will save a bundle this heating season.
Step 1: Determine what kind of programmable thermostat you have
If you don’t have a programmable thermostat, getting one is a smart move: if you use it correctly, it will pay for itself in the first year you own it. If you do already own a programmable thermostat, it’s helpful to know what kind of flexibility your model offers.
Programmable thermostats feature different “modes”, depending on the model you own. Ranked in order here from most to least flexible, these modes include:
- 7-day, which lets you program a different schedule for each day of the week;
- 5-1-1, which allows one schedule for the week, plus one each for Saturday and Sunday;
- 5-2, which lets you program one schedule for the week and one for the weekend; and
- 1-week, which enables one schedule for the week.
If you have a wireless thermostat, you can program these modes (and other thermostat features) from your smart phone (contact us to learn more about smart thermostats).
Step 2: Customize your thermostat to your lifestyle
No matter which of these options you own, you will want to customize your thermostat so it works with your family in your home. The settings you can control on just about any type of programmable thermostats include:
- Wake time
- Sleep time
- Leave time
- Return time
Each thermostat operates a little differently, so you will want to spend a little time consulting your owner’s manual to adjust these settings; considering the money savings, we would say it’s time well spent. if you’re having trouble with your thermostat, contact us– we’re here to help.
Step 3: Optimize temperatures to save money
The U.S Department of Energy suggests the following settings for the best balance of comfort and savings:
Heating season:
- When you’re home and awake, set the thermostat for 68°F.
- Lower temperatures by 10° for the hours you’re asleep or out of the house.
Cooling season:
- When you’re home and awake, program air conditioning to 78°F.
- Program the AC to shut off during the hours you’re out of the house.
In general,
- Program heat or A/C to shut off 20-30 minutes before you leave home; return them to normal comfort levels 20 to 30 minutes before you come home.*
- Program reductions in heating or cooling to begin 60 minutes before you go to sleep; return them to normal comfort levels 30 minutes before you awaken.
Save 10 percent on your annual energy bill without sacrificing comfort by installing a programmable thermostat and using it correctly! Contact us today to learn more about the latest smart and programmable thermostats for your Northern New Jersey home.