What Is The Best Energy Efficient Thermostat Program Strategy?

Answer: Many people don’t realize how important the thermostat setting is for energy savings. During the spring and summer months, the temperature can rise inside your home increasing the discomfort level. Keeping your home cool with your air conditioning system can be very expensive. A few simple actions can help you save money while keeping you cool or warm.

While you may feel the most comfortable when the temperature is in the 60’s, that can send your bill into the hundreds each month during the summer. Set your thermostat to the highest possible degree you can tolerate. The closer the temperature is on the thermostat to the temperature outside, the less your air conditioner has to work and the lower your energy bill will be. The ideal temperature for your thermostat setting is 77 degrees. When it comes to winter months, it shouldn’t be set above 68 degrees. These ideal temperature setting will help to maximize energy savings. For example, cranking your thermostat up to 90 degrees or down to 50 degrees will not heat or cool your house any faster. Most thermostats begin to heat or cool at a set time, to reach set point temperatures sometime thereafter.

Air conditioning and heating systems with adaptive (smart/intelligent) recovery features are an exception to this rule. There are new programmable smart thermostats available that examine the performance of the past few days and keep track of the seasons. This way your house is always at the comfort levels when occupied, but saving the most energy when unoccupied. A programmable thermostat is a great way to minimize cost. These upgraded devices allow you to set the thermostat to different temperatures depending on the time of day. For instance, at 8am when you are away at work, you can set your thermostat to 80 degrees since no one is home to keep cool. You can program it to a lower temperature around 4-5pm when you return to house. By adding automations or adaptive systems, you can save significantly on your energy bills.

A programmable thermostat is a useful investment year-round and can pay for itself in just a few months. The summer months can be unbearably hot, you don’t have to sacrifice comfort to save money. Using your thermostat strategically and adjusting it to account for variations throughout the day can result in significant savings.