Programmable Thermostats – 5 Tips For Maximum Savings And Comfort
If you’re an energy-conscious homeowner that likes to cut utility costs but you don’t want to compromise your comfort, use these tips to program your thermostat for savings and customize your home comfort through the end of the cooling months.
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- 1.
Increase the programmed temperature
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- as much as possible during hours you’re at work and during sleeping hours. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you save about 1 percent cooling costs for each degree you raise the temperature above your normal setting for at least 8 hours a day.
Program your thermostat for savings
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- by turning up the temperature 10 to 15 degrees during working hours and five to 10 degrees during sleeping hours.
2. Programmable thermostats typically include a “hold” feature that allows you to make quick changes in temperature. However, it’s wise to avoid using the “hold” feature too often. Be sure to use the pre-programmed “vacation” mode during extended periods away from home.
3. Choose a programmable thermostat suited to your lifestyle. If your household has a hectic schedule that changes daily, install the seven-day thermostat, which offers a different temperature program for each day of the week. If you have a more typical work week, the 5+2-day thermostat should be fine. It provides one program for the five-day workweek and one program for the weekend. Choose additional features, such as large display screens, system alerts and more.
4. If you are just beginning to program your thermostat for savings, increase the temperature slowly over a few weeks to acclimate yourself, which may be necessary during humid cooling months. Use ceiling fans to help ventilation at night.
5. Make sure you purchase a compatible model for your cooling and heating systems. Some systems, like heat pumps, require specific thermostats designed for those systems. If you have a zoning system, install a programmable thermostat for each zone for more convenience, savings and comfort.
For more information about how to program your thermostat for savings, please call our HVAC professionals today at Sobieski Services. We proudly serve Wilmington and the surrounding areas.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Wilmington, Delaware and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC & plumbing systems).
Image Credit: Amaury Henderick
