By Susan Seliger
The headlines in newspapers and blogs from coast to coast confirm what we can all feel in our pockets – Americans are digging deep to save money.
Well, dig no more — going green can save some green, too.
The key to cutting your energy bills is to keep the heat down in winter and the AC on low in summer. For every degree you lower your thermostat in winter and raise it in summer, you save at least 1% or more on your bills. And if you cut it down 10 percent all those hours you are away from the house or on vacation, the savings for the average consumer whose yearly energy bill is $2,000, can easily range from $150 to $180.
Trouble is, who remembers to do it?
Probably the only sure-fire, idiot-proof way to do keep temperatures optimal for money-savings, day and night, is to use a programmable thermostat. If you haven’t got one, the $30 to $100 it costs will easily pay for itself before the first year is up.
Here’s the big payoff. If you actually take advantage of the thermostat’s ability to change heat and AC temperatures six or more times in the course of a day and especially when you are away from the house (yes, you can’t just buy it, you have to use it – there’s always a catch, right?) you can easily save $150 per year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, without dramatic changes. More if you’re willing to pull out the woolies and layer up this winter. .
You can lower carbon emissions, lower your heating and cooling bill, and still stay toasty warm or cool as a cucumber when you’re home – not bad.
Furthermore, if you get too hot or cold while you’re home, you can easily manually override the settings (I didn’t say hot flashes, did you?) without having to program it all over again.
Make sure to look for a thermostat with an Energy Star rating – and you’ll keep those savings coming.
FOR MORE on Thermostats from your government and mine at DOE:
Energy efficiency and thermostats, go to the U.S. Dept. of Energy:
DOE info on temperature settings to use:
Photo credit: Susan Seliger (those are her bills, too)