Over the course of the summer, a majority of homeowners are stuck in a tedious struggle with the thermostat. On one side of the spectrum is the attempt to keep the thermostat set as high as possible in an attempt save on utility costs. But then again, it sure is relieving to feel cool when the temperature outside continually increases to brutal levels.
In a lot of ways, thermostat management is a year-round struggle because energy efficiency and comfort have to be addressed in colder weather as well. A great way to save on heating and cooling bills but also feel cool throughout the summer is with a programmable thermostat—a cost-effective, easy-to-use accessory that brings with it a windfall of benefits. Here are several listed below.
Lower Utility Costs
One of the biggest wastes of energy is when the air conditioner is cranked low at times when it’s not required like when people are working, outside or when they are asleep. Many people are responsible about turning the A/C off when they leave for lengthy amounts of time, but a programmable thermostat removes any risk of forgetfulness and automatically sets itself to a sensible temperature at off-peak times.
More Comfort
In general one of the irritating things about turning the air conditioning off for the day when you leave is that you come home to a hot and stuffy house. A programmable thermostat can be directed to lower the temperature in the house around 30 minutes before you reach home so that you come back to a cool, comfortable environment.
Convenience
Programmable thermostats definitely are a “set it and forget it” appliance as a majority of them have options for either 7-day (different times for each day), 5 + 2 (weekday and weekend settings) and 5-1-1 (weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays) schedules. Plus, with the touchscreen technology thermostats are fairly easy to set up and they can be installed easily by a qualified HVAC technician. Modern programmable thermostats can even be controlled using your smartphone and give you complete control over your home comfort anywhere you are, day or night.
Affordability
The introductory programmable thermostats go for close to $20 and typically demand under an hour of labor to be installed. In addition, whatever the initial investment is can be recouped rather soon with the 10%30% reduction in heating and cooling bills that the programmable thermostats can provide.
If anything, the installation of a programmable thermostat is the first step in optimizing the efficiency of a home. Projects that follow might include sealing up any gaps around doors, upgrading windows and bolstering wall insulation. It’s not impossible to save 50% from what you’re paying in heating and cooling bills now and all that is lost profits the more time that’s wasted.
So in essence, if you don’t already own one, buy a programmable thermostat today!
Some popular thermostats to choose from: