A programmable thermostat makes controlling your home comfort simple, and it also can help you save some money. You can program it around your routine, so won’t have to pay to heat your home when you’re away. With the erratic weather in Portland, a programmable thermostat can ensure your home’s temperature stays exactly where you want it, when you want it there.
The best way to get the most benefits from your programmable thermostat is to take some time to analyze your family’s schedule. By doing this, you can plan how to program your thermostat so you don’t use energy when you and your family are gone, but you also won’t have anyone coming home to a house that’s too hot or too cold.
You could take time to adjust your thermostat before and after work, but why make more work for yourself when the programmable thermostat was made to make your life and your home more comfortable? Simply set it and forget it… and saving on energy makes it even better.
You can help your system operate more efficiently by programming your thermostat for large periods of time and limit your temperature changes to 10 degrees or less. This practice will save you money and help ensure you are comfortable in your home. It takes your system less energy to keep your home at a fairly constant temperature than it does to turn it on when you get home and try to heat a cold house.
A programmable thermostat operates with the same basic functions as a traditional thermostat, but also offers a variety of preprogrammed settings to trim down your energy utilization and, therefore, potentially lower your energy bills.
- Preprogrammed settings often include designated options for when you are at work or on vacation. Using these settings will automatically lower your temperature setting whether you’re away from Portland on vacation or only away from home for the day.
- Some programmable thermostats have the option to lock the thermostat to prevent kids from accidentally (or purposely) adjusting the temperature and potentially affecting your bill.
- You should also know that setting the heat much warmer than you’d normally set it will not help your house warm up more quickly. Many people assume that cranking the heat up in a cold house will warm it up faster, but it doesn’t. And often they forget to turn it back down, making the house uncomfortably warm and wasting energy.
When you want to ensure your home is always comfortable and are looking to save a little money, a programmable thermostat is a great option. To find out more about the many programmable thermostats available and which one might suit your home the best, call Three Rivers Heating & Cooling in Portland at 503-213-4433.