While certainly a proven money saver, the benefits of a programmable thermostat go beyond energy savings. By fully automating your HVAC system, you will not only reduce your energy costs, you’ll increase the comfort of your home.
A wide range of basic programmable thermostats are available with traditional interfaces and can be installed in less than an hour. Some of the higher-tech units offer an interface that is more similar to a computer than a traditional thermostat.
While heating your home, reducing the nighttime temperature by just a few degrees can add up to significant savings over the course of a winter. Your programmable thermostat will begin raising the temperature before you wake, allowing you to save money at night and awaken to a cozy home.
In homes where all family members are away for four or more hours, it makes good financial sense to lower the indoor temperature in winter or raise it in summer when occupants are away or asleep. Your programmable thermostat can complete this task with ease and have your home back to your preferred temperature upon your return.
Some people are concerned that their HVAC systems will need to work harder to return their indoor temperature to a comfortable range after being raised or lowered (depending on whether you are heating or cooling your home). Here you will observe another one of the benefits of a programmable thermostat, as many systems are capable of analyzing when it’s efficient to adjust the temperature of your home, based on a series of questions you answer during the initial system programming.
Some of the higher-end systems even allow you to interact with, and control, your thermostat while away from home with your smartphone, iPad, or PC, so there’s no need to worry about coming home to a chilly house if you happen to arrive earlier than planned.
If you are in the Twin Cities Metro Area and would like professional advice about the benefits of a programmable thermostat, the experts at Marsh Heating & Air Conditioning are here to help. We have been serving the area since 1974.
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 programmable thermostats and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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