Programmable thermostats can be more expensive than their simpler counterparts, but they may offer significant savings over time, as well as greatly increasing the comfort of your home. Thermostats like Honeywell Lyric, Carrier Cor, and Nest offer amazing functionality for your convenience and comfort, and can often be worth the initial investment. These are a few key benefits of installing a programmable thermostat in your home.
Energy Savings
If you program your heating or cooling to lower the temperature when you’re away at work or asleep, you can significantly lower your energy bill every month. A rule of thumb is that for each degree you adjust your temperature per eight hour period, you can lower your energy bill by 1%. For example, if you drop the temperature from 68° during the day to 65° at night, you can expect to shave 3% from the cost of your bill. During very cold or very hot months, this number can fluctuate as high as 10-20%.
Energy Reports
Generic numbers may not give you much peace of mind. Fortunately, many programmable thermostats offer innovative energy reports, showing you exactly how much you save per degree. Not only can you check your progress on a day to day basis, but you can also get a monthly energy report so you can look at the bigger picture.
Comfort
If you’re worried that your home will always be the wrong temperature, don’t be. You can set the thermostat to raise or lower to your ideal temperature half an hour before you return home from work or before you wake up in the morning. You’ll wake up to a warm home every winter morning or relax in the cool air conditioning when you return home from work. With most models, you can even adjust for the weekends so it remains your ideal temperature whenever you’re home.
Convenience
Many newer models have the added functionality of smart phone integration. Have the day off of work? Raise the temperature from the comfort and warmth of your bed. Heading home early? Have the perfect temperature waiting for you when you get home. Some thermostats can even learn your schedule without having to be programmed, making for simple installation and an easy learning curve.
So while that high-performance, sleek programmable thermostat may be initially more expensive, you can regain the cost of its installation within the first couple years of owning it. Not only will your bill be lower, but your home will be more comfortable and convenient year round. So make the investment today, and watch your savings roll in.
