Good Idea!
If you want to reduce the amount of money you are spending on your heating and cooling bill, then a programmable thermostat is something to consider. Programmable thermostats have been in around for three decades now and have proven to reduce energy consumption.
This type of thermostat works to change temperatures at times when it is most productive and non-intrusive to others. The loss of heat or cooling from a structure increases as the difference in temperature increases. The magic of a programmable thermostat is that it will reduce this temperature change when the amount of energy needed to make the change is not obtrusive or inappropriate for the inhabitants.
So, what does that mean? It’s wintertime and everyone is out of the house during the day at work or running errands. The thermostat can be programmed to decrease the indoor temperature so that less energy is used during the day to keep the house warm. Nobody is there anyway, so why spend the money to keep it warm? But, say everybody gets home at 5:00pm every day. The thermostat can be programmed to begin warming the house at 4:30pm so everybody arrives to a warm place.
An added advantage to this is that usually electricity costs more during peak times of the day. The programmable thermostat can be set to demand less energy during the times of day when electricity costs more per kilowatt hour.
Programmable thermostats are also technologies that can keep tabs on the level of humidity in your home. They can be programmed to keep the humidity at a certain level throughout the day. Some thermostats will alert you when its time to change the air filters. They are usually attractive and well lit items that do not contain mercury.
Other Features
Automatic Scheduling. Computer technology keeps track of when and how you schedule and will change temperature settings based on your programming history.
Automatic Changeover. The device changes between heating and cooling.
Remote Programming. The technology includes using wifi to adjust your settings.
Energy Usage. The thermostat keeps a running record of your energy usage so the bill is not so much of a surprise.
Keypad Lockout. If there are people you don’t want to have access to the thermostat, you can create a code that only a select few know.
Program Override. If you just want to change something because of some unforseen occurrence, you can do that.
Social and Educational Issues
Programmable thermostats are digital and may also be electromechanical. They are amazing additions to the HVAC system and can save people money. However, there is an issue with them that has surfaced over time.
It seems that people are having a hard time understanding how to use them. In a study published in the Energy Research and Social Science Journal, 192 respondents were surveyed. 42% of those who responded to the questions explained they had programmable thermostats. 14% of those who had programmable thermostats stated, “they do not know where the settings are.” 25% stated “they know where the settings are, but they do not know how to change them.”
In short, it is clear that it is possible to have the latest technology, but if folks don’t know how to use it, that technology doesn’t do anybody any good.
So, in response to this lack of education and information regarding how to program the thermostat, the HVAC industry has striven to educate consumers. Knowledgeable and skilfull technicians are the face to face people who are in the homes of consumers every day. They have taken on the primary responsibility of answering questions and training the consumer.
Pointing out features and referring consumers to blog posts and articles written on websites have helped consumers grow increasingly comfortable with this type of thermostat. In addition, we are presently well into the fourth generation of people who have grown up with the internet and all the recent technologies that have grown out of that event. More and more people are resonating with and gravitating toward programmable and smart technologies.
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