Thermostats are so small and yet so useful. We use them year round as we experience the heat of blazing summers and the extremes of snowy winters here in New England. The little thermostat does so much to keep our homes comfortable and cozy throughout the year in every season. You might have been thinking for a while about when and why to switch from a manual thermostat to a programmable one. Here are a few reasons why you will want to make the switch sooner rather than later.

Although it works, a manual thermostat can be a real headache. First of all, you have to adjust it constantly throughout the day with the changes in temperature – when you wake up, leave your home, come back, or go to sleep. Trying to adjust your manual thermostat to just the right temperature throughout the day can take time away from other more important tasks. With a manual thermostat you have much less control over the overall temperature and how long it is set to that temperature. Probably most importantly, manual thermostats can cost you a lot of money due to their inefficiency.

There are a lot of great reasons why people choose to upgrade to a programmable thermostat. When you switch to a programmable thermostat you can save a lot of money on utility bills. This is because instead of having to set it to one temperature and constantly changing it throughout the day (or not), you can set it to go on at a certain time of day and set it to the ideal temperature that will keep you comfortable and help reduce your utility bill. A programmable thermostat gives you complete control over your HVAC home system. People also enjoy the increased comfort in their homes with ideal temperature settings throughout the day and night.

1. A penny saved is a penny earned.

 For most American households, 42% of the energy bill goes to paying for heating and air conditioning. For each degree Fahrenheit that you lower the household temperature for 8 hours, you will save 1% of your energy bill. How much you save really depends on your comfort level and how eager you are to save money. You could save nothing by keeping the temperature the same, or you could save as much as 50% in one energy bill. Imagine what you could do with that extra 50% in savings?

When you have a programmable thermostat, you can pre-set the temperatures for different times of the day and night. You can discover what the ideal temperatures are, and never have to worry about forgetting to change the thermostat again, thus saving even more on HVAC costs.

2. Programmable thermometers have a touch screen which makes it very easy to use.

With just a touch of a finger, you can set temperatures for different times of the day, see if filters need changing, or a problem that needs servicing. It’s all within your control.

3. When you purchase a programmable thermostat, make sure it comes with a zoned system. 

A zoned system allows you to have different temperatures for different areas of a house. If one room of your house is less used, or not used at all, you can lower the temperature in that one space while keeping the other areas of the house at an ideal temperature. Another good reason to have a zoned system is to accommodate for different family members’ temperature preferences. If your teenager likes their room nice and warm, while you prefer sleeping in a cooler climate, both of you can have the temperatures you want without any complaining.

4. Another great feature of programmable thermostats is the ability to have the temperature change automatically. 

If it is connected with your smartphone, you can change the temperature from anywhere. If you decide to come home early from work because of a snow day, you can have the house be perfectly warm by the time you arrive. You also don’t have to worry about being responsible for changing the thermostat right before you go to sleep if you have already programmed it to go down at night, which will save you a lot of money in the long run.

5. A good programmable thermostat gives you a lot of information that would otherwise be inaccessible to you. 

It will tell you what temperature your house is currently at in each space. You can find the programmed settings for various times of the day and night, along with a weekly or daily schedule, which can be changed with the touch of a finger. If your filter needs changing or you need HVAC servicing, you will have all the information at-a-glance. With a good programmable thermostat, you will always know what is going on with your energy usage.

Call North Shore Home Energy Today

If you want to enjoy all the benefits of a programmable thermostat in your home, call North Shore Home Energy today!

By nshec