Is a Programmable Thermostat the Answer to Your Energy and Cost ...

According to the Department of Energy, it just might be

The DOE has completed numerous studies over the years when it comes to advancements in thermostats. What they have reported is that programmable thermostat savings range from 5% up to 15% per year on your heating bill.1

Link to foxwell

The basic yet revolutionary concept of a programmable thermostat is that you program your HVAC system to run through manual set-up or through the use of motion sensors. This results in savings across the board (energy, efficiency, cost) because you are not running the system to heat or cool a room when nobody is in it.

Programmable thermostats: only for the tech-savvy?

To most people, the thermostat is seen as just a confusing little box on the wall, and odds are the majority of these people are using that little box in the wrong way. A study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab found that nearly 90% of Americans say they’ve rarely (or never) programmed their thermostat because they are not sure how to do it. You would think that people would want a solution that would allow them to program timed temperature settings, and not have to mess with it anymore, right?

Shockingly, the Washington Post reports that only 30% of American households have a programmable thermostat. Within that 30%, just over half of these households keep their programmable thermostats in “hold” mode, essentially making them function like the traditional thermostat. The programmable thermostat industry has recognized that some of the earlier models of their devices were unnecessarily confusing, and even product experts could not use them easily. In , ENERGY STAR withdrew its approval from programmable thermostats once they realized they were too complicated for the average consumer to use.2

As a response, manufacturers designed a spectrum of programmable thermostats ranging from simple models to smart models that offer a variety of features and price points. In today’s market, programmable thermostats are no longer just for the tech-savvy, but tech-savvy consumers will have plenty of options if they want to have fun with their thermostats.3

Find your perfect fit: the best programmable thermostat for your needs

Houselogic provides a great description of the types of programmable thermostats that you can use in your home, each of them varying by scheduling methods.

Seven-day programming (Average price range is $55-$125)

This type of programming is best for individuals or families with erratic schedules, since this is the most flexible option on the market. This type of thermostat lets you program a heating/cooling schedule for every day of the week.

Five-one-one programming (Average price range is $35-$78)

There is one heating/cooling schedule for the weekdays, and specific schedules for Saturday and Sunday.

Five-two programming (Average price range is $28-$30)

There is one heating/cooling schedule for the weekdays, and one heating/cooling schedule for the weekend.

One-week programming (Average price range is $20-$23)

There is one heating/cooling schedule for the entire week. 

Smart thermostats (Average price range is $150-$300)

In addition to the above scheduling types, you have the option to buy a smart thermostat that gives you the ability to control it from a smartphone or other electronic devices like a remote. This increases efficiency even more, as you can update your temperature(s) in real time. The factors to consider when it comes to smart thermostats are that they can be expensive and require a little bit of research about the technology.

Programmable thermostat best practices

Programming your thermostat for seasonal changes will also help you save energy and money throughout the year. The DOE suggests the following setting to maximize savings on your energy bill: 4

Winter months

• For the hours you are home and awake: 68º F
• For the hours you are away or asleep: 60º F

Summer months (AC)

• For the hours you are home and awake: 78º F
• For the hours you are away or asleep: 85º F  

Smart thermostats are gaining popularity.

These devices tend to have simple controls and touchscreen displays that are easy to navigate. More importantly, smart thermostats connect to the internet via WiFi, allowing you to change the temperature at home through an app on your smartphone wherever you happen to be—as easily as you would check your bank account balance.

These thermostat apps can even walk you through the programming process instead of requiring you to press a series of buttons to create a schedule. Smart thermostats can also factor in your local weather forecast and make temperature adjustments automatically using sensors and computer algorithms.

Energy Star began certifying smart thermostats back in . The packaging label makes it easy for you to know which smart models will help lower your energy bills. As of February , 85 smart thermostats had received Energy Star certification. For top-performing smart thermostats that will save you energy and money, see our guide to the best smart thermostats.

Some of the user interface improvements created for smart thermostats have also trickled down into nonconnected programmable thermostats. In our ratings, the best programmable thermostats receive high scores for being easy to program and having intuitive manual controls for adjusting the temperature. To see which programmable thermostats ace our usability tests, check out our list of the best programmable thermostats. 

The world of thermostats moves at a much slower pace than those of more popular electronics, such as smartphones and computers, but there are still some notable changes happening in the industry, especially around smart thermostats.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website Programmable Sensors.

Ecobee was a pioneer when its smart thermostats began using wireless remote temperature sensors, which can be placed in areas away from the thermostat to more accurately heat and cool rooms that might run too hot or too cold. Now most new smart thermostats offer these sensors.

There are also a handful of startups making smart air vents, which connect to select smart thermostats and redirect the airflow of forced air HVAC systems for better heating and cooling. For more information on wireless temperature sensors and smart air vents, check out our guide to getting the right temperature in every room of your home.

A relatively new type of smart thermostat has emerged for ductless HVAC systems, such as wall-mounted heat pumps and mini splits, and window ACs. Often called mini-split thermostats or smart AC controllers, these devices act like WiFi-connected universal TV remotes. They only work with heating/cooling units that have an infrared remote control, taking the place of those remotes. You program them (or send commands) from their smartphone apps and they translate those commands into infrared signals that are sent to the heating/cooling unit.

Finally, smart thermostats are becoming much less expensive. Google released a new Nest Thermostat model in that now costs $100, while smart-home startup Wyze has a smart thermostat that costs about $75. Later this year, Ecobee will release a new $130 smart thermostat and Honeywell Home will release a new $80 smart thermostat. For more smart thermostat options in every price range, see our smart thermostat ratings.

1. Consider your HVAC system.
If you have a ductless HVAC system with mini splits or window ACs, you’ll need to consider mini-split thermostats and AC controllers. For traditional ducted HVAC systems, you’ll need either a programmable or smart thermostat. Nearly all of our tested models work on common heating and cooling systems, but check the packaging for exceptions. This is especially a concern with smart thermostats because not all models support all types of HVAC systems. For example, the Nest Thermostat doesn’t support ventilation systems, but the Nest Learning Thermostat does. And if you have separate heating and cooling systems, you may need to install a separate thermostat for each system and each zone of heating and cooling, or for each mini split or window AC in your home.

2. Decide whether you’re interested in a nonconnected programmable thermostat or a smart thermostat.
If all you care about is simple programming, a nonconnected thermostat will suffice, and these models are much more budget-friendly. If you’re interested in controlling your thermostat with your voice or an app, or letting it learn your habits and adjust the temperature accordingly, then you should consider a smart thermostat. To narrow your choices, factor in smart features (such as geofencing), price, and attributes that matter to you, such as color, size, or style.

3. Scope out your wiring.
If you have a ducted HVAC system, you’ll also want to open up your existing thermostat to see what kind of wiring you have. Most nonconnected programmable thermostats will work with as few as two low-voltage wires (common in older heating systems), but newer thermostats often require a common wire, a C-wire. The C-wire provides continuous power for features like displays and WiFi. If you aren’t sure ifr you have a C-wire, consult an HVAC technician.

If you know you don’t have a C-wire but you really want a smart thermostat, you have a few options:

• Choose a model with a power adapter or power extender that allows you to add a C-wire to your system, such as those from Ecobee and Honeywell Home.
• Buy and install a third-party add-a-wire adapter.
• Pick a model from our ratings that doesn’t require a C-wire (look under the Features & Specs tab in our ratings table). Both Nest and Emerson claim you don’t need a C-wire for many systems. Nest models, in particular, have an internal battery that charges whenever your system is running. But some HVAC professionals caution against this arrangement, saying it could potentially damage your HVAC system.
• Have a C-wire professionally installed.

4. Consider your home’s aesthetics.
If you’re replacing something that will stay on your home’s wall for the next decade, you’ll probably want it to look good. Today’s thermostats, especially smart models, come in a variety of shapes and styles. You can go for the classic, round look of Google Nest thermostats or the futuristic all-glass, rounded-square style of Ecobee models. Honeywell Home and Lennox thermostats offer a more modern, boxy look with large displays, and models from Emerson, Hunter, and Lux have a more conventional style that you would expect from programmable thermostats. Of course, when it comes to looks, the decision is entirely up to you. You’re the one who’s going to have to live with it, so choose the style that looks best in your home.

At Consumer Reports, we’ve tested hundreds of thermostat models over the years. And while once upon a time they weren’t very accurate, most now are able to keep rooms close to the set temperature. It’s for this reason that we no longer test manual thermostats because all they do is hold a set temperature.

With temperature accuracy a given, we focus our testing on ease of use, taking note of how simple each thermostat is to set up, program, read, and operate.

For programmable thermostats, the ease of use testing is broken down into four aspects of the product experience: setup, ease of reading the display, programming, and manual operation.

Our setup test evaluates how easy the thermostat is to configure for an HVAC system after physical installation, and our display test judges how well information is presented and how easy it is to read. The programming test looks at the number of steps it takes to create a heating and cooling schedule and the cues provided for understanding the schedule-building process. The manual operation test assesses the ease of using a thermostat’s primary functions, including controlling the setpoint, building a schedule, setting home/away status, and creating a vacation period.

For smart thermostats, our testing has a different focus. We factor in smart features like alerts, app control, and geofencing (where the thermostat tracks your ’s location to know whether you’re home).

We also account for machine learning and automation features, which allow smart thermostats to learn your habits and routines to adjust temperatures for you. And with the growing popularity of smart-home apps and digital assistants, we consider compatibility with Amazon Alexa, Apple Home and Siri, and Google Home and Assistant, if those integrations are available. These criteria factor into our unique Smart IQ and automation scores for smart thermostats. As with programmable thermostats, we also consider ease of manual operation.

For mini-split thermostats (aka AC controllers), we evaluate how easy they are to manually control if they have physical controls (not all do). We also judge their smartphone app functionality, including how easy they are to set up and use, and whether they offer robust app controls for temperature adjustments and powering on or off the mini split, wall-mounted heat pump, or window AC.

Our test engineers then take all of this data and incorporate it into our Overall Scores for all of these thermostats.

The company is the world’s best Universal Programmable TPMS Sensor supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.