Have you heard that it costs more to reheat your home after you let it get cold than it would to just keep the heat going full blast all day? Well, you can let whoever told you that know he is wrong.
Reducing the heat while you’re away or sleeping is actually one of the most economical things you can possibly do. Turning your thermostat down 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours a day will save you 5 to 15 percent on your natural gas bill, according to the Department of Energy.
Programmable thermostats are money savers
They don’t just look fancy, programmable thermostats are genius and can save you plenty of money if you use them properly. Most of us have a bit of a routine. We get up around the same time, at least on workdays. We leave around the same time, come home and go to bed around the same time. So, programming the thermostat should be a breeze.
Have the house warm up an hour before you get up and cool down again when you leave for work. Warm it up an hour before you get home and cool it down again for be time. You’d be amazed how much you can save.
Will a programmable thermostat pay for itself?
If you buy a simple programmable thermostat and install it yourself, it could pay for itself in a few months time. You can get a simple one for about $25 and it will do everything you need it to accomplish. If your gas bill in the winter is $100 and you save 10 percent of that every month you use your new thermostat, it will pay for itself in less than three months.
What if I want help?
If you know a programmable thermostat is a good idea, but you’re not sure how or where to start, contact the Energy Resource Center. We provide home energy efficiency services for a fee throughout most of Colorado and free home energy audits and upgrades, including the installation of a programmable thermostat, to income-qualified families in the Denver Metro Area, the Pikes Peak Region and the San Luis Valley.
