Saving Energy with Programmable Thermostats

Programmable thermostats allow building occupants to store temperature settings in advance, based on time-of-day and day-of-week criteria. By doing so, programmable thermostats can be used to increase the comfort of a building, save energy, and usually pay for themselves in one to two years.

These devices are especially useful if you like to come home to a cool house or wake up to a warm one. Instead of air conditioning your home the entire day, for example, these thermostats can be set to cool your home just before you usually arrive, which significantly cuts utilities costs and your environmental impact.

Three kinds of programmable thermostats are available, but the best one is the kind that most closely reflects your personal schedule.

• 7-day models allow one to change the heating and cooling schedule for each day of the week and are best for those with changing schedules;
• 5+2-day models have one schedule for weekdays and another for weekends; and
• 5-1-1 models split weekends so that there are separate Saturday and Sunday schedules.
  

Programmable thermostats are available at most hardware, appliance, and home-improvement stores, as well as online. A good model costs between $50 and $250, depending on its features and warranty options, but the return on investment is relatively quick. According to ENERGY STAR®, homeowners can save $180 per year using strategic heating and cooling schedules. See instructions from ENERGY STAR® on how to maximize efficiency using a programmable thermostat. Programmable thermostats are also a plus for the environmentally conscious because they contain no mercury.

When shopping for programmable thermostats, the differences among models are usually based on the features they offer. Some features to consider looking for are: 

• The ability to change the current temperature without affecting the scheduled settings.
• The maximum number of temperature changes per day allowed, which generally ranges between four and six.
• Printed instructions on the thermostat or inside cover so you don’t need the manual for programming.
•  Temperature accuracy within 1° F.
• Indicators for a low battery, system malfunction, or when the furnace filter needs changing.
• A back-up battery to save the program in case of a power outage.
• Automatic season changeover from heating to cooling.