How To Save Money With A Programmable Thermostat

About 90 percent of Americans say they have “rarely or never” programmed their thermostat because they don’t know how it works, according to a recent study. That’s a shame, because using a programmable thermostat is one of the easiest ways to save energy and lower heating bills.

If you don’t already have a programmable thermostat, we recommend investing in one: if you use it correctly, it will often pay for itself in the first year you own it. If you have a programmable thermostat but don’t know how it works, don’t worry: we’ll break the basics here so you can get the best energy-saving bang for the buck.

Programmable thermostat basics

A good place to start getting to know your thermostat is by seeing what different “modes” it offers. The more expensive the model, the more of these features it is likely to have.

Ranked in order here from most to least flexible, these modes include:

• 7-day, which lets you program a different schedule for each day of the week;
• 5-1-1, which allows one schedule for the week, plus one each for Saturday and Sunday;
• 5-2, which lets you program one schedule for the week and one for the weekend; and
• 1-week, which enables one schedule for the week.

Once you know what modes are available on your model, you can begin to set up your thermostat so it works with your lifestyle. The settings you can control on just about any type of programmable thermostats include:

• Wake time
• Sleep time
• Leave time
• Return time

Each thermostat operates a little differently, so you will want to spend a little time reading your owner’s manual to adjust these settings; considering the money savings, it’s time well spent!

Best temperatures for your home

Once you get a handle on using your programmable thermostat, the U.S Department of Energy suggests the following settings for an optimum balance of comfort and savings:

Winter months:

• When you’re home and awake, set the thermostat for 68°F.
• Lower temperatures by 8-10° for the hours you’re asleep or out of the house.

Summer months:

• When you’re home and awake, program air conditioning to 78°F.
• Program the AC to shut off during the hours you’re out of the house.

In general:

• Program heat (or A/C) to shut off 20-30 minutes before you leave home each day; return them to normal comfort levels 20 to 30 minutes before you come home. If you have a wi-fi thermostat, you can even control your home’s temperature from your smart phone!
• Program reductions in heating or cooling to begin 60 minutes before you go to sleep; return them to normal comfort levels 30 minutes before you awaken.

Be smart and save on your monthly energy bills this winter and beyond. Want to save even more? Become a Valley Oil Customer and get the best heating oil prices in the Hudson Valley! Contact us today to learn more about heating oil delivery in Dutchess and Ulster counties!