Living Like Ed - (Page 22) An Energy-Saving Thermostat Once you’ve got the air moving more efficiently through your heating and cooling system, think about how you regulate the temperature of that air. It requires a huge amount of energy—energy that you pay for in the form of your electric, oil, or gas bills—to raise or lower the heat of your home by even a few degrees. Controlling these costs, and the amount of energy you use, means controlling the temperature both when you’re at home and when you’re away. This is the magic of an energy-saving thermostat. Most people simply turn their heating and air-conditioning system on and off when they want to be warmer or colder. Some even leave the system on when they leave the house, so that it will be the right temperature when they return. Maybe you leave the heat running at your preferred temperature all night long—even though you’re sleeping under a blanket or a comforter— because you want the house to be nice and warm when you get up in the morning. But why spend all that money, and waste all that energy, keeping your house comfortable when you’re not there, or when you can simply add another blanket to your bed at night? If you have central heat or central airconditioning or both, you can install and use a programmable thermostat instead of an old “set the temperature and it’s either on or off” thermostat. This way, you can save energy and money and have your house at the right temperature when you get home, when you wake up in the morning, and when you’re asleep. cooling it. If you can reach a compromise in your home, a great way to save energy and save money
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