Saving Money with a Programmable Thermostat

For years we have been told that we can considerably reduce our heating and cooling bills by using a programmable thermostat. However, what we haven’t been told is how to use this tool to save the money they advertise.

Too many times I talk with people who use a programmable thermostat, but they aren’t saving any money. In fact, I have spoken to people who actually saw their bills rise after installing this “money-saving” device.

So, how do you use a programmable thermostat properly???

The correct way to use a programmable thermostat is to have different temperatures inside your home based on when you are home and when you are away, but that is only part of the answer. The part you have not been told is that you shouldn’t vary the temperature in your home by more than 4 degrees when you are away. Any more than 4 degrees of temperature difference causes your heating or air conditioning system to work extra hard to overcome the temperature difference.

Many times I find homeowners who have 8, or even 10 degree differences in their programs. These same people are the ones that report increased utility costs after installing the “money-saving” thermostat.

Another potential result of dramatic temperature differences in thermostat programs is early failure of heating or air conditioning equipment. When you force your system to recover from large temperature differences, it has to work at its maximum capacity. This puts extra stress on all of the parts of the system, and any weak parts will fail earlier because of this higher demand.

So, if you want to realize the full benefits of a programmable thermostat, here are words to live by:
- set programs to change temperatures to “higher” levels when you are away
- do not exceed 4 degrees of difference when setting your “higher” levels
- allow the thermostat to work, don’t constantly override it

If you have any questions about programmable thermostats, or if you would like some help deciding if one is right for you, please shoot me an e-mail or give me a call. I am happy to help.

Have Fun!