What is your opinion of the programmable thermostats for the home?

Question

Do they help cut back on utility bills or just helpful in controlling the temps while you are away?

Answer 1

PT's reduce bills and control temps when home and away. I live a scheduled life. I go to bed and wake at regular times. I work regular hours. If I am in bed or at work my PT is set to less than comfortable settings to conserve $. Summer, I want AC in the evening. Winter, I like heat in the morning. Heat for a couple hours, Cooling for a few hours. I have reduced bills by a third.

Answer 2

I've installed these several times (owned several different homes from moving around). I'm lukewarm on them.

First of all, as far as savings goes its better in the winter. In the summer, you're better off setting your AC at a temperature that you can live with and then leave it alone. Your AC has to work really hard to move the house 5 or more degrees. It can take quite a while for the cooldown. Couple hours in a decent sized house.

If the occupants of the house keep to a rigid schedule, then in the winter you can keep the house a lot cooler when you're not there and a little cooler when everyone is sleeping.

Having young children at home, we're invariably up in the middle of the night tending to whatever and cold due to the themostat program. For folks that have more random schedules, you're constantly second guessing the program and overriding the themostat.

Programmable thermostats sounds like a good idea, but I haven't bothered to install them in the latest home. Effort better spent insulating or caulking something.

Answer 3

In theory, a programmable thermostat will save on your heating/cooling bill. The furnace and A/C units are off when you're out of the house and can be set to start warming or cooling the house just before you come home. They can also be set to cut back when you're sleeping. If you only have a furnace without a central A/C, the expense of a programmable isn't really justified.

Answer 4

It is not uncommon to see a 20% decrease in energy bills if used properly. They are ideal if you work all day 5 days a week, as you can program them to cut back on temp just before you leave for work and increase again just before you come home with the weekend at a steady temp or lower at night.

Answer 5

I have to agree with firmshake above. I've had one that the builder installed in this house and haven't used it in the almost 9 years I've lived here. The main reason is that our schedule is so varied that it is impossible to know what time to pre-set the heat or AC to come on because I never know exactly when I will return home. At night, when I am here it is usually cool enough to just run fans and open windows during the summer. And, in the winter I just build myself a fire if I'm cold and I really don't like to sleep in a heated room anyways.

Answer 6

Mine definitely keeps bills down. Lower temps in the winter when no one is home to 62 and at night to 65 while your sleeping. Raise the temp in the summer when running air conditioner, etc. I have 4 time changes to play with on mine and a different cycle for weekends. I love it!

Answer 7

They are great for saving on heat and electricity because the furnace will not run unless you want it to also you don't heat your house when you are not there which i think is a waste then you can controll the temp all the time they are a great investment and they dont cost alot of money

Answer 8

They work great. If you buy one for $50, it will pay for itself in just a few months... then the savings will really happen. If you install it yourself, you may find it cheaper. Estimates are that they WILL save you $100 or more a year.

Answer 9

Great for cold climates. They work well, save money. Good for vacation times. I have one, easy to override. Sleep cool, wake up warm. Love it.