Cooler weather is on the way. One way to keep your home comfortable this winter without breaking the bank is installing a programmable thermostat. Modern programmable thermostats have many features to help the homeowner reduce heating and air conditioning costs. When they’re used properly, significant savings can result without sacrificing the comfort level of your home when it’s occupied.
A programmable thermostat basically lets you set a schedule for temperature changes ahead of time, with the idea to reduce energy use and save money when your home is unoccupied. This is usually when occupants are at work or school during the day, though energy-saving programs also can be set at night when everybody’s asleep.
Scheduling Options
- 7-Day thermostats – Each day of the week can have a unique program, and with some models four temperature changes are available each day. A household with changing schedules can benefit greatly from this option.
- 5-1-1 thermostats – Saturday and Sunday can have individual settings while every weekday has the same schedule with this model. This option is slightly less flexible, but still offers energy-saving potential. A family with a set weekday schedule, but varying activities on the weekend may find this feature useful.
- 5-2 thermostats – This thermostat allows weekdays to have one program and weekends another. If your family has a set schedule, you may want to consider this model.
- 1 Week thermostat – This is the least flexible programmable thermostat, but worth investigating if this matches the needs of your family. You have the same program every day of the week.
If you already own a programmable thermostat, be sure to learn all the options available to maximize your energy savings. The latest thermostats on the market have even more options. Wireless control allows you to use a smartphone, computer or tablet to access your programming. If schedules change, use this function to override the programming to adjust the temperature before arriving home.
Please contact Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing with any questions about programmable thermostats. We proudly serve Indianapolis and the surrounding area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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