Maximize Your Home Comfort

July 15, 2010

Did you know that by adjusting your thermostat a few degrees when you are away from home or in bed at night can save you money in your monthly utility bills?  You can save as much as 1% on your utility bills for each degree if the setback period is eight hours long.  But there is a certain amount of inconvenience that results from manually controlling the temperature on your thermostat. This includes waking up in a cooler than normal house in the winter and possibly forgetting to adjust the thermostat (during any season) when you leave the house or go to bed?

Installing a programmable thermostat in your home is the easiest way to save money and energy without sacrificing comfort.  A programmable thermostat helps make it easy for you to save by regulating your home's temperature in both summer and winter - when you are asleep or away.  It’s ideal for people who are away from home during set periods of time throughout the week. Through proper use of pre-programmed settings, a programmable thermostat can save you about $180 every year in energy costs, according to EnergyStar, a division of the EPA.

The pre-programmed settings that come with programmable thermostats are intended to deliver savings without sacrificing comfort. Depending on your family's schedule, you can see significant savings by sticking with those settings or adjust them as appropriate for your family.

Below is a chart created by EnergyStar that gives you an example of suggested temperature settings for both summer and winter: