Reducing your energy bills this winter could be as easy as upgrading a thermostat from a manual device to one that’s programmable. They save energy because they tend to be more accurate than analog thermostats, and the programmable units remember to change the temperatures for you.
Anytime you reduce the temperature indoors during the heating season, you lower energy consumption. A programmable thermostat simplifies setting the thermostat back, and some even take it a few steps further by letting you monitor your HVAC remotely or sensing when no one’s home and automatically adjusting the temperature.
Upgrading a Thermostat by Selecting the Right Model
- Identify the brand and model of HVAC system you have and find out what it’s compatible with.
- Select its power source. You might be able to choose from a thermostat that uses batteries or one that’s hard-wired into your home, or both. Some homes may not have the right kind of wiring, or you may want to have a battery-back up system in the event of power outages to save the programming.
- Decide on the type of programming you need. Models are available that easily accommodate 5-1-1 programming, which work well if you’re away five days in a row and have a different schedule during each weekend day. If your weekend schedule is the same, you can select a 5-2 day model. One week models are also available if you have the same daily schedule. If it’s different each day, choose a 7-day device. Each of these devices typically lets you change the programming for four separate schedules daily.
- Choose its accessibility. If you use a smartphone or have Internet access throughout the day, consider upgrading a thermostat to a WiFi model. They afford you many more options, like managing temperatures remotely, estimating daily energy consumption, and receiving alerts about performance, service and maintenance.
If you’d like more information about upgrading a thermostat for your home’s HVAC system, contact Griffith Energy Services, We’ve provided top-notch HVAC services for homeowners in Chantilly, McLean and Centreville homeowners since 1970.
