Looking for a convenient and inexpensive way to cut energy costs? A programmable thermostat lets you set a schedule that automatically changes the temperature of your home, or certain areas of your home, several times during a 24-hour period. Many people base these schedules on their household’s occupancy patterns, with heating or cooling kicking in just before you get up in the morning or get home from work in the evening.
If you’re looking to cut back expenses, you will usually see the return on your investment within one year. Programmable thermostats are also a plus for the environmentally conscious because they contain no mercury and are eco-friendly. Using less energy helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy production.
They also help extend the life of your HVAC system. These thermostats reduce the amount of wear on your HVAC system by allowing it to run less often while ensuring your home comfort. This can extend the life of key components and help delay costly repairs or replacement.
They are available in a number of configurations. The simplest offer a single program, which will run every day of the week unless you override it. Others allow you to create different programs for weekdays and weekends, while the most advanced models permit you to fashion a different heating or cooling schedule for every day of the week. Some of the latest models offer greater control, easy programming, sophisticated displays, and even communication with you via the Internet.
Programmable thermostats can automatically store settings and repeat those settings each day. However, they can still be manually set, overriding the programming whenever you want. It is a perfect way to keep your home comfortable while saving energy in an environmentally conscious way.