Living Like Ed - (Page 23) You will have to invest some money up front; an energy-saving thermostat starts at about $65. But it will pay for itself in heating and cooling savings in a year or less if you use all of its features. Programming Your New Thermostat • Make sure you program the energy-saving thermostat to shut down the heat or air-conditioning automatically when you leave for work or for school, and to turn it back on 20 to 30 minutes before you expect to return. • You’ll also want to program the thermostat to reduce the temperature when you’re heating the house (or to increase the temperature when you’re cooling it) about 30 to 60 minutes after you normally turn in for the night. Once you’re under the covers and asleep, you won’t require as much heating or even cooling. (You’d be surprised how much less 1: cooling is necessary to keep you comfortable at night. And you can always open a window in the summer if it’s cooler outside at night.) Again, you just program the thermostat to return to “awake” mode 20 to 30 minutes before your alarm goes off in the morning. • You 23 don’t need to worry about being uncomfortable if you’re home all home day on the weekend, either. Energy-saving thermostats let you program different settings for weekdays and weekends. • If you plan on going out of town, make sure you override your normal programming and shut down everything until you return. The caveat here is that if you’re in a very cold climate and you’re worried about your pipes freezing, don’t let the temp fall below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. And you might not want to shut the system down completely if you’re leaving pets in your home. Even so, you can see there’s tremendous potential for energy savings here. Don’t be afraid to adjust your settings regularly. Temperatures change day to day. Go ahead and adjust your program settings, daily if need be, to maximize the efficiency of your system. I check mine every time I leave the house. Get a New Thermostat COST: $65 and up is to dial back your normal settings 5 to 8 degrees, then put on a sweater in the winter or wear
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