Although there's always plenty to do here in Mid-Ohio during the summer months, occasionally folks take off for a vacation. You might not realize it, but that vacation away is the perfect time to save a little cash. How? Make sure you adjust your home's thermostat before hitting the road.
According to EnergyStar, the average household will see a 2 percent energy savings for every degree they set back on their thermostat. Even more compelling, a household that installs and consistently uses a programmable thermostat all year long could save a significant amount of money on utility bills. That's a lot of souvenirs!
While programmable thermostats are not generally recommended for use with heat pumps, they are a great way to manage energy costs with many other heating and cooling systems. You can create temperature settings that vary over the course of a typical day (waking, daytime, evening, overnight) to avoid heating or cooling your home when you're away at work, but maintain comfort when you plan to be at home. Once you've programmed your thermostat, there's nothing else you need to do – the system handles the rest.
Programmable thermostats offer additional settings as well. You can use the "hold" or "vacation" setting for times when you will be away from home for an extended period, like a weekend away or a trip to the beach, and avoid having to reprogram the thermostat's settings. During the summer months, just select a temperature that is several degrees higher than you would normally use. This will provide a consistent and efficient setting for your air conditioning system, and ensure that you aren't cooling your home unnecessarily. It's a simple step that will leave you with extra money to use on your next vacation!
If you'd like to know more about how a programmable thermostat can help lower your heating and cooling bills, contact the experts at Joe Behr Plumbing & Heating today. We're ready to serve you!
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
Joe Behr Plumbing and Heating, Inc. services the Mid-Ohio area. To get started, check out our website.
