Does your Peachtree City area home have a programmable thermostat? Programmable thermostats, if installed, programmed and operated properly, can save you big money on your home energy bills. However, for these units to work at their most cost-effective, it’s imperative to use them right.

Many people think that turning thermostats down at night and up in the morning is a waste of energy. This commonly held opinion has been proven wrong by scientists as early as the 1970s. In fact, turning the thermostat down by just 1 degree Fahrenheit every night for eight hours can reduce your home energy’s use during that time by 1 percent. Lowering it by 10 degrees equates to a reduction of 10 percent in home energy use.

Programmable thermostats allow you to pre-set temperatures according to your daily and weekly schedule. Simply program the unit to only warm at your comfort level (or cool, depending on the season) during the times you are awake and home; when you are away or asleep, set the thermostat to a lower (or higher) adjustment.

For optimal savings, consider following this typical energy-efficient programming on your programmable thermostat:

• During colder months, program your thermostat for 68 degrees Fahrenheit while you’re awake and home. Set the thermostat back 6-10 degrees when you’re asleep or away.
• During hotter months, program your thermostat for 78 degrees while you’re awake and home. Set it several degrees higher when asleep or away.
• Another great way to use programmable thermostats is with a zoning system, in which individual areas of the house are heated and cooled instead of the whole house.
• Avoid using your programmable thermostat’s “hold” feature, which nullifies the pre-set programming, since this defeats the energy-saving purpose of the device.

For more information about programmable thermostats and zoning systems, or to learn about other energy-saving HVAC products and solutions, contact your local experts at Powers Heating & Air. Our expert technicians have been providing superior service and quality products to Peachtree City area residents since 2001.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree, Georgia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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