Programmable Savings

A programmable thermostat can reduce your energy costs by automatically turning down heating or cooling systems at night and while you're away. It has been reported that using a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature by 10° to 15° for 8 hours can save you between 5% to 15% a year on your energy costs. The energy savings are dependent on the climate you live in, how well your home is insulated, and the programming and settings you enter into the thermostat.

A word of caution: Programmable thermostats can be complicated to use so you should review the programming settings and assess the difficulty of the thermostat before you make the purchase. An improperly set thermostat can actually increase your energy costs.

If you have misplaced the instructions to a programmable thermostat you may be able to find them online simply by entering the manufacturer's name and the model number.