Do - you - know how to program your thermostat?

Last - week - was hot here. The temperatures were well over 80 and it’s supposed to be even warmer this weekend. So I finally broke down and turned on the air conditioner. Every year there’s a fine line between needing to cool the house and watching my gas & electric bill rise in the summer months. Well, the first step in keeping those bills down is to get a programmable thermostat. According to the EPA, when programmed properly, these thermostats can save you about $180 a year on your energy bills. Unfortunately, the EPA also found that most consumers don’t know how to program their thermostat to maximize their savings. Here are a few guidelines from the EPA to help you make sure that you’re getting the most out of your thermostat.

• Raise the temperature setting by 7 degrees when you’re away and 4 degrees when you’re asleep in the summer.
• Save even more by using the “Vacation” and “Hold” features to manage temperatures while you’re away from home for an extended period.
• Lower the temperature setting by 8 degrees when you’re away or asleep in the winter
• Visit the EnergyStar website for more tips and tutorials on how you can get the most savings out of your programmable thermostats