With government rebates, increase in oil prices, and the pressure to go green, homeowners are searching out any and every opportunity to cut energy use and save money. Using programmable thermostats is one avenue that results in big energy savings.
Programmable thermostats offer effective protection against fluctuating home comfort, and consumers should look for a thermostat with features that will suit their lifestyle and maximize comfort.
Savings
Experts estimate that for every degree homeowners turn back their thermostat, a 2 percent savings results in energy use. Over the course of a year, that 2 percent can really add up. The average homeowner who sets the thermostat back to 17°C at night and 20°C while at home should see almost $200 in savings.
Comfort
Programmable thermostats allow homeowners to set temperatures to comfortable levels for the periods of time they occupy the home. Typically, a programmable thermostat comes with at least four settings: wake time, daytime, evening, and sleep. Homeowners can set a weekly schedule; the most basic thermostats allow for four temperature settings for the week. Others offer different programming for weekdays and weekends. Finally, others allow weekday settings and two different weekend settings.
Having the pre-programmed settings match the homeowners schedule as closely as possible allows for the most energy savings; however, comfort is not lost to savings. For example, a homeowner who wakes up at 6 am each weekday morning can pre-program the thermostat to come on 15 minutes prior, so the house warms up by waking time. As a result, the homeowner actually increases comfort by manipulating programmable settings for comfortable temperatures while decreasing energy use.
Features
High-end programmable thermostats offer unique perks and top of the line amenities that provide for ease of use and maximum comfort, such as voice programming and phone programming features. Imagine a homeowner leaving the office early and placing a phone call to adjust settings so the home warms up upon arrival.
Choosing a programmable thermostat saves energy and money, while optimizing homeowner comfort.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information, click here to download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Arpi’s services Calgary, Alberta. To get started, check out our website or see our special offers.
