We’re in the middle of the season of heavy A/C use here in Central Arizona, and, unfortunately, many homeowners are seeing that reflected on their utility bills. High cooling bills may seem inevitable for those living in the desert states, but there are small changes that can save a lot of money and energy in every season. Programmable thermostats are one small improvement you can make to your house that will pay off very quickly. Here are a few reasons why you should switch to a programmable thermostat:
- Savings: Programmable thermostats can save a great deal of energy and save you money on your utility bills. This is partly because, with a programmable thermostat, your furnace or A/C can be turned off or lowered when you are out of the house for a long time. The adjustment will likely be a change you hardly notice at the time, but the savings will be pretty obvious on your bill.
- Convenience: With a standard thermostat, a homeowner has to constantly adjust the temperature manually to keep the HVAC system from running unnecessarily. Programmable thermostats allow homeowners to set the thermostat once, and then ignore it for months. Most models have options for different schedules on weekends, and some of the newest models don’t even require programming- they learn your schedule and habits on their own.
- Technology: Though simple programmable thermostat models are popular and low cost, there are also newer models on the market that can go beyond simply controlling the temperature. Some programmable thermostats can now be controlled remotely using your wireless device, allowing you to make adjustments from afar, and often providing other useful information.
If you don’t feel that a programmable thermostat is a great option for you at this point, consider at least upgrading to a digital thermostat. Analog thermostats are difficult to read, and less efficient than digital models. That means that your old analog thermostat isn’t just wasting your time- it’s also costing you extra money.
For more information on upgrading the thermostat in your Phoenix area home, contact Wolff Mechanical today.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Phoenix Valley area of Arizona about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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