According to a study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, about ninety percent of Americans say they’ve rarely (or never) programmed their thermostat because they’re not sure how to do it.

That’s a shame, considering how easy it is and much money it can save you.

In fact, managing the temperature of your home with a thermostat is one of the simplest ways we know to save 10 percent or more on your energy costs – especially with today’s WiFi thermostat models. If you don’t have a programmable thermostat, getting one is a smart move: if you use it correctly, it could pay for itself in the first year you own it.

Recommended temperatures for your programmable thermostat

Once you get a handle on using your programmable thermostat, the U.S Department of Energy suggests the following settings for an optimum balance of comfort and savings:

Winter months:

• When you’re home and awake, set the thermostat for 68°F.
• Lower temperatures by 10° for the hours you’re asleep or out of the house EXCEPT on nights when extreme cold is forecast; dropping temperatures too low on these days could potentially lead to a frozen pipe problem.

Summer months:

• When you’re home and awake, program air conditioning to 78°F.
• Program the AC to shut off during the hours you’re out of the house.

In general:

• Program heat or A/C to shut off 20-30 minutes before you leave home each day; return them to normal comfort levels 20 to 30 minutes before you come home.*
• Program reductions in heating or cooling to begin 60 minutes before you go to sleep; return them to normal comfort levels 30 minutes before you awaken.

Be smart and save on your monthly energy bills! Want to save even more? Contact Burt’s Reliable today to learn about high efficiency heating system options for your East End or North Fork, LI home.

* If you have wi-fi / wireless thermostat, you can control your home’s temperature from your smartphone.