Thermostat Settings Matter -- Tips For Maximizing Energy Efficiency

programmable thermostat mid-ohio areaIf you're looking for a way to maximize your energy efficiency, ensure that your indoor environment is always comfortable, and reduce your heating and cooling costs, then installing a programmable thermostat just might be your answer. It enables you to adjust your thermostat settings for maximum efficiency and comfort.

Because programmable thermostats are set according to the schedule or you and your loved ones, you can maximize savings on your utility bills by adjusting your thermostat settings to coordinate with your schedule. You can turn your thermostat down (in the winter) or up (in the summer) when no one is around, and in fact, you can save as much as 10 percent on your heating costs by turning your thermostat back 10 to 15 percent for at least eight hours a day.

Programmable thermostats are especially helpful if no one is in your home for several hours a day, and if you and your loved ones have traditional sleeping schedules. You can adjust your thermostat settings so that your furnace or air conditioner doesn't have to work so hard at times when it's not necessary, such as the middle of the night when everyone's asleep. And if it's not working overtime, it's not costing you as much money.

Here is a general idea of how you could adjust your programmable thermostat settings to gain the most energy efficiency and reduce your utility costs. Let's say that most of the people in your home wake at 6 a.m. and leave your home by 8 a.m. The heat, set at 70 degrees at 6 a.m., could be set to rise between eight and 10 degrees starting at 8 a.m., when everyone's gone. You then could set the thermostat to rise back to 70 degrees at 6 p.m., as everyone's arriving home, and then fall between eight and 10 degrees at bedtime.

Similarly, the air conditioning thermostat settings could be adjusted for maximum comfort and savings, set at 78 degrees at 6 a.m. and then programmed to rise between eight and 10 degrees during the day. At 6 p.m., the air conditioning would kick in at 78 degrees again, then climb a few degrees at bedtime.
  
It may take a few tweaks to get the thermostat set to the right temperatures to suit the comfort level of everyone in your house. But after a few days, your loved ones should get acclimated and enjoy the climate consistency that your programmable thermostat provides. And you'll love the savings that will come about as a result.

To begin accumulating these savings before the coldest days of winter arrive, call Joe Behr Plumbing and Heating, Inc. today to schedule an appointment to add a programmable thermostat to your home. We have proudly served customers in the Mid-Ohio area since 1965.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about thermostat settings and other HVAC topics, visit our website.

Joe Behr Plumbing and Heating, Inc. services the Mid-Ohio area.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

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