Air conditioning and heating typically account for 40%-50% of a household’s total energy bills. With energy costs continuing to rise, most homeowners look for ways to save money without sacrificing comfort. One of the best solutions is to schedule annual cooling and heating tune-ups. Using a programmable thermostat can also contribute to energy savings.
How to Get the Most Out of a Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat can reduce the cost of heating and cooling your home. However, studies have shown that some people don’t bother programming their thermostat. Instead, they manually turn the temperature up and down or leave it alone. Not programming your thermostat always leads to one of two issues: your HVAC system running more than necessary or your house not being as comfortable as you want.
The first issue stems from keeping the thermostat set to the same temperature all the time. If you never adjust the thermostat, the result is that your system will heat and cool an empty house more than necessary. If you adjust the thermostat before you leave for the day, you will return home to an undesirable temperature.
To achieve the best balance between comfort and energy savings, program your thermostat so that the temperature is around 3-5 degrees higher or lower when you’re at work and asleep. You should then set it so that it switches back to your normal temperature setting around an hour before you get home. This means that your temperature is at the right setting at the moment you step through the door.
If you set your AC and heating back by 3-5 degrees for eight hours during the day and eight hours at night, you’ll reduce the amount of energy your HVAC system uses by around 10% on average. You typically don’t want to go much higher or lower than 5 degrees. Otherwise, your HVAC system may end up using more energy to bring your house back to the normal temperature.
Another thing to consider is whether you are leaving pets indoors when you are gone. Some pets can handle higher or lower temperatures while others are more sensitive. If your pet has a low tolerance for extreme temperatures, you may want your away temperature settings to be similar to your home temperatures.
If you’re uncertain about the best temperatures for your schedule and home layout, work with an HVAC professional. They can also give you advice on which programmable or smart thermostat would work well in your home, based on the brand of HVAC unit, any smart home software you use and other unique features of your home.
Additional Benefits of Using a Programmable Thermostat
Not programming your thermostat can cost you in other ways as well. If you always leave your thermostat set to the same temperature, your HVAC system will experience much more wear and tear. That means you’ll usually end up with certain components like the blower and AC condenser fan wearing out sooner and needing to be replaced. You can also experience more frequent problems that cause your HVAC system to completely break down. By programming your thermostat, you can reduce the need for repair and extend the lifespan of your system.
Comparing Programmable and Smart Thermostats
New smart thermostats are more advanced than standard programmable units in a number of ways. Many smart thermostats now collect data from various sources like motion sensors, door sensors and the GPS on your phones to essentially learn the household’s behavior patterns and typical daily routines. They then use AI algorithms to determine the best temperature setting for each specific part of the day based on when everyone is home, away and asleep. You still need to use the app to input your preferred temperature setting for these times, but the thermostat will adjust the temperature automatically.
Most smart thermostats allow you to monitor how much energy they’re using through the app. This makes it easy to directly see the effect of your current settings on the system’s energy usage and how much energy you can save by tweaking the settings. On most units, the app also gives you tips on small changes you can make to further reduce energy usage without majorly impacting your comfort level.
This energy-monitoring feature has a hidden benefit as well, and that’s that it makes it easy to see if your HVAC system suddenly stops working as efficiently. While energy usage can obviously fluctuate from day to day and month to month based on the weather, a noticeable, sustained increase in usage is a sure sign that you need to have your HVAC system serviced or repaired. If your HVAC system doesn’t turn on when it should or ever shuts off too soon for any reason, the thermostat will also send a notification to your phone informing you of the issue.
Many smart thermostats work by monitoring the weather and forecasts and adjusting to this information. By monitoring the weather, the thermostat can determine if it needs to adjust the temperature earlier or later than usual. On cooler days, it will adjust the temperature a bit later so your AC doesn’t run needlessly, and it will adjust the temperature earlier on hotter days when your AC can’t cool as quickly.
There is also the convenience aspect of being able to monitor and control the temperature in your house remotely. With a programmable thermostat, your home will still be much warmer when you get there. With a smart thermostat, you can turn the temperature down before leaving work so that your house is cooler when you arrive. If you have to work late, you can keep the temperature turned to away mode until later to save energy. This also lets you adjust your schedule on the fly if you have a sick day or a weekend outing.
Some smart thermostats use geofencing, motion detectors and microphones as well. Geofencing uses the position of your phone to determine the distance to your home. This allows your thermostat to switch to away mode when your phone is detected leaving the vicinity. It will return to the temperatures you prefer when you’re at home when your phone crosses a boundary within a certain radius. Motion detectors and microphones help to determine which room you are in. If you have zoned heating and cooling, you can focus on changing the temperatures in the rooms where you are currently spending time. This also works when your house has two stories.
When it comes to professional cooling and heating services in San Diego, Elite Heating & Air Conditioning Services stands head and shoulders above the competition. Our experienced team is always here to help in the event of a sudden breakdown or with whatever else you may need. From installing smart thermostats to our maintenance program, repair and system replacements, we’re the company to trust with your home comfort. If you want to upgrade to a smart thermostat or need any other HVAC service, contact us to schedule an appointment.
