Programmable Thermostats

Programmable thermostats combine a clock with a thermostat and can save a significant amount of energy, especially during hours when the occupant is not home or asleep at night. Savings from an 8-hour, 10 degree setback will range from 5% to 15%. Two 8-hour, 10 degree setbacks will yield 10% to 20% savings. Milder climates receive a greater percentage of savings from night setback than more sever climates because their setback periods comprise a larger percent of run time in milder climates compared to setback periods in more severe climates.

The House-Zen Guy's wife controls our thermostat. She's got it set on workdays to be reduced from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM, heating up for our arrival around 6:00 PM. She also has it set for reduction from 10:00 PM to 5:00 AM, a big 2 1/2 hour window of heat in the morning and 4 hours at night. On weekends, all bets are off.

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