Are your summer cooling bills out of control? It’s easy to manage your thermostat based on how you feel at a given point in time, but that change can be forgotten, resulting in excessive operation of your equipment and higher energy bills. If you have a programmable system control, you can be much more precise with your summer thermostat settings. If your unit isn’t programmable, you may want to invest in an upgrade.
How Can a Programmable Thermostat Result in Energy Savings?
Energy use increases as your air conditioning equipment operates for longer periods, and your summer thermostat settings will affect that running time. The ratio of potential savings to degrees of change is one to one for an eight-hour time period. Adjusting your temperature setting up just two degrees for eight hours can result in up to 2 percent less cooling energy being used in your home. Every degree matters, and your thermostat allows you to be precise in your efforts.
What Summer Thermostat Settings Should I Use?
ENERGY STAR offers a guide that may work for your household needs. However, if you find that these recommendations don’t meet your comfort needs, you can make adjustments so that the principles remain at work. Use the following as a starting point:
- Early morning – 78 degrees
- Day – increase setting by 7 degrees or more
- Evening – 78 degrees
- Night – increase setting by 4 degrees or more
If you find that your structure isn’t comfortable at these levels, make gradual adjustments until you find a plan that fits your family’s lifestyle.
Are All Programmable Units the Same?
There are varying configurations in programmable system controls, and you may want to install one that reflects your household activities. Options include:
- All days the same – a model for the home that doesn’t experience much change from weekdays to weekends in waking times, activities and preferences.
- 5-2 thermostat – ideal if your weekend schedule differs significantly from that of weekdays
- 5-1-1 thermostat – a better choice if your Saturday and Sunday schedules are significantly different from each other.
- All days different – if your days are unpredictable or if you have a non-traditional workweek, this may be the best choice for greater energy savings.
- Wireless – a programmable unit that can connect to your Wi-Fi network allows for even more precise settings. This is an excellent option for the tech-savvy household.
Caring for Your Entire Home Comfort System
It is important to remember that your energy savings will be limited if your air conditioning equipment isn’t optimized. AC maintenance should be completed prior to the cooling season so that your equipment provides excellent comfort control and keeps your utility bills down. Ireland Heating & Air Conditioning Co. provides helpful savings insight and system diagnostics in the Highland Park IL area. Call us for more information about thermostat options or AC maintenance today.
