Controlling the temperature in your Southwest Arizona home to reduce energy costs is simple with a programmable thermostat. Gone are the days of manually turning your thermostat up or down when you go to sleep or to work. Also gone is the idea of turning your heater or A/C completely off when you’re gone during the day. Wild fluctuations in temperature cause your equipment to work harder and waste your energy dollars.
Before buying a programmable thermostat, find out what type of HVAC system you have. You need to make sure the programmable thermostat you buy is compatible. Installing it isn’t difficult for a handy homeowner, but to make sure of a proper installation, call a professional HVAC technician. Once it’s installed, you’ll need to read the manufacturer’s instructions to program it, or consult with the technician.
Here’s how to save money with your new programmable thermostat:
- During the winter, program an “at-home and awake” temperature and an “asleep or at work” temperature. When you’re bundled up in bed, you’ll still be comfortable, even if the house is cooler.
- Set the thermostat to decrease the temperature after you go to bed or leave for work, and raise it back to your comfort level about an hour before you wake up or get home.
- During the hot Arizona summer, program the thermostat with a similar pattern for cooling.
- The optimum temperature difference is about 5-8 degrees. It doesn’t sound like much, but it will reduce your energy costs. Ideally, you’ll want to use at least eight-hour setbacks for optimum energy savings.
- Don’t forget about the weekends. Program the thermostat to maintain your preferred temperature all day long.
- Unless you expect freezing temperatures, you’re safe turning the system off when you leave town. Thanks to Yuma’s warm winters, there’s little risk of pipes freezing. The hot summer months are a different matter. You’ll want to keep some level of cooling while you leave the house empty, to protect furnishings, houseplants and belongings. Plus, if you come home to a 90-degree home, it likely will take quite a while for your A/C to bring it back to a comfortable temperature.
The key to saving is using less energy when you don’t need it, which a programmable thermostat excels at when used correctly. Learn more ways to save money on home energy bills by contacting us at Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric in Yuma.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Yuma, Arizona about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about programmable thermostats and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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