According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average home’s HVAC system accounts for more than a quarter of its overall energy use. Peak usage is usually highest during hot summer afternoons when homeowners rely on their air conditioning systems for essential comfort. Heating homes is also a significant energy drain. Whether you are searching for a way to lower energy bills or to reduce your carbon footprint, managing your thermostat settings will deliver excellent results.
Choose the Right Thermostat for Your Needs
There are several types of programmable thermostats, from standard to cutting edge.
7-day thermostat: Your basic programmable thermostat will allow you to manually create a schedule for your central air system based on your lifestyle. For example, if you’re out of the house for work Monday through Friday, you can program your thermostat to adjust to a more economical setting while you’re away. Your custom program can also take into account your typical sleep routine. You can program your thermostat for Saturday and Sunday as well.
WiFi thermostat: This thermostat connects a wireless network, allowing you to control temperatures remotely from your mobile device. This comes in handy when you need to override programmed settings for unexpected changes in your schedule. For example, if you’re leaving work earlier than normal, you can change the thermostat from your smartphone so that your home is comfortable by the time you arrive.
Smart thermostat: This thermostat learns your daily routine and adjusts temperatures automatically for energy savings. It knows when you’re coming. It knows when you’re leaving. You don’t have to worry about changing your settings.
Account for Your Daily Routine
Generally, you should make adjustments based on your sleeping habits and the hours when you are normally at home versus away from the house. The heater or air conditioner should adjust the temperature to a comfortable level approximately 30 minutes before you return home or wake up in the morning. You can adjust the temperature settings a few degrees in the other direction approximately 30 minutes before you go to bed at night and before you leave for work.
Adjust the Thermostat Seasonally
To further conserve energy, adjust the programmable settings based on the weather conditions. During the warmer summer months, the programmed temperature settings should be several degrees higher so that your AC system does not run as frequently. In the cold-weather season, drop the programmed settings by a few degrees.
Is your thermostat programmed to maximize efficiency? Now is the time to review the settings and to make essential adjustments.
For all of your heating and cooling needs, rely on Pine State Services. To schedule your appointment, call (207) 747-1210.