We recommend that you set your thermostat, no more than 5 degrees warmer or cooler from what you normally keep your temperature. If you are going to be away for more than 3 days, you can set the temperature on your thermostat at a greater difference. Here is why: In this day and age of 2 income households, most homes are not occupied during most of the day. So adjusting the thermostat to allow the temperature in the home to rise or fall beyond your normal setting can save you money.

Keep in mind however that on the hottest or coldest days your heating and ac system may not be able to overcome the outside temperature and make up the temperature difference in your home when you return your thermostat to the usual setting. When we allow our home’s temperature to rise or fall beyond the normal setting, not only does the air in our home change temperature, but so does everything in our home like furniture, clothing, appliances and even the walls. When the thermostat is reset, the stored heat or cold in the items in our home cause our home’s heating and cooling system to work to remove it all at once, rather than maintaining the temperature throughout the day. A programmable thermostat is designed to adjust the temperature in your home four times a day and have your home at a comfortable level when you wake up or arrive home. Most people regain the cost of replacing a wall thermostat with a programmable thermostat in energy savings in less than a year, making it a very good investment. For more information about installing a programmable thermostat, call Action at 272-5900.