Early fall still brings sunny days and warm temperatures to the Twin Cities. But only too soon brisk fall temperatures will remind us that winter is approaching. It can be hard to keep a stable temperature inside when the weather outside is fluctuating the way it does in a Minnesota fall but a programmable thermostat not only can help you stay at the best temperature setting for the time of day, it’s a proven money saver year round. Here are the ways that a programmable thermostat can save you money on your heating and cooling bills and ensure that you’re not wasting energy heating space unnecessarily.
Example of an Energy-Saving Winter Program
6:30 a.m.: Temperature is set overnight to a money-saving 56 degrees. The family will wake at 6:45 so the thermostat kicks on to bring the house to a comfortable 68 degrees. In many ways 68 degrees is the best temperature setting because it is warm enough to feel like the optimum temperature of 70 degrees and those two degrees difference really add up to savings.
6:45 a.m.: The family wakes to a comfortable house temperature and everyone gets ready for their day.
7:45 a.m.: The family leaves the house for school and work and the thermostat instantly goes back into money-saving mode, keeping the house at 56 degrees all day.
4:30 p.m.: A half hour before the family starts to come home, the thermostat kicks on furnace so the family can come home to a warm house.
10 p.m.: The entire family is in bed so the thermostat allows the house to cool back to 56 degrees, saving the family a bundle over the average winter on heating costs.
An energy-saving program also can be set in the summer, with higher daytime temperatures when everyone’s away from the house, though most people wouldn’t want the temperature set much higher overnight. Programmable models are available with different scheduling options from weekdays to weekends, and the most versatile models allow a different setting every day of the week.
Programmable thermostats can easily be adjusted to fit almost any household’s needs. Find out more about how Marsh Heating & Air Conditioning can help you reach peak efficiency and save money in your home.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about temperature settings and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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