Managing the temperature of your Ontario home with a thermostat is one of the easiest ways we know to save on your propane or heating oil bills. If you don’t have a programmable thermostat, getting one is a smart move; if you use it correctly, it could save you 10 percent on your energy bill – enough to pay for itself in the first year you own it.
Types of programmable thermostat
Programmable thermostat models vary based on flexibility, along with additional features such as Wi-Fi / smart phone capability (“smart thermostats” – we will talk more about these in a future blog).
Typical models, ranked in order here from most to least flexible, offer:
- 7-day programming, which lets you program a different heating/cooling schedule for each day of the week;
- 5-1-1 programming, which allows one heating/cooling schedule for the week, plus separate ones for Saturday and Sunday;
- 5-2 programming, which lets you program one heating/cooling schedule for the week and one for the weekend; and
- 1-week programming, which lets you program one program for daily use.
Optimal year-round thermostat settings
Once you have chosen and learned how to use programmable thermostat, we suggest the following settings for an optimum balance of comfort and savings:
Winter months:
- When people are at home and awake, set the thermostat for 20˚C (68˚F)
- Lower temperatures by 5°C for the hours you are asleep or out of the house.
Summer months:
- When people are at home and awake, set the thermostat for 25°C (78˚F)
- Program your A/C to shut off during the hours you are out of the house.
Year round:
- 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.
* If you have Wi-Fi / wireless thermostat, you can control your home’s temperature from your smart phone.
Be smart and save on your monthly energy bills! Contact us today to learn even more ways to save money this winter for your Ontario home.