Manage Programmable Thermostats for Maximum Efficiency
You turn off the lights when you leave a room. You turn off the TV before you go to bed. And if you’re really disciplined, you unplug your cell phone charger once your phone is fully charged. So why not crown your energy savings efforts with the device that’s arguably the best at delivering real savings each and every month – a programmable thermostat.
As it is, you may be adjusting your thermostat now before you leave for work, when you return home and then again before you go to bed. After all, the goal is to set your thermostat as low as you can in the winter so that your furnace runs less often and as high as you can in the summer so that your air conditioner runs less often.
Instead of shuffling over to your thermostat to make these adjustments manually, a programmable thermostat allows you to pre-set temperature changes for a day, several days or a week ahead of time. And if the forecast suddenly changes, you can alter the settings accordingly.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is so confident about the value of programmable thermostats that it says you can cut your energy bill by about 10 percent a year if you get in the habit of altering your indoor temperature—higher in the summer, lower in the winter—by between 7 and 10 degrees for at least eight hours every day.
How would a thermostat schedule look on a day-to-day basis in your Orlando home during the winter? Let’s assume you’re part of an “early to bed, early to rise” family. Your temperature settings could look like this:
- Wake at 6 a.m. to 70 degrees
- Leave home at 8 a.m. and reduce thermostat to 60 degrees
- Return home at 6 p.m. to 70 degrees
- Sleep at 10 p.m. with the thermostat at 62 degrees
For help in choosing and installing a programmable thermostat in your home, call Scott’s Heating & Air Conditioning. We’d be delighted to install this crowning energy savings device in your home and even happier to give you pointers on how to make the most of it everyday.
Scott’s Heating & Air Conditioning is a full-service heating and air conditioning company and a Bryant® Factory Authorized Dealer in Central Florida. Whether you need repair, maintenance, or installation of a new heating or cooling system, we provide efficient, cost-effective, and professional service. When it’s hot, call Scott!
Tags: energy efficiency, energy savings, hvac system, orlando florida, thermostats, utility billsCategorised in: Energy Savings
