Although Virginia’s per-site energy consumption exceeds the national average, Hampton residents can improve those results for their own households by incorporating advanced control systems into their home comfort plans. You may already have a programmable control, but maximum benefits are typically achieved when you implement programming changes that coordinate with your household activity to reduce energy needs. Every degree of change that is maintained for an eight-hour period represents up to 1-percent of your potential bill.
Optimizing Results with Programmable Thermostats
Your programmable unit can save you time and frustration by managing setting changes. Even when you make a brief override, your programmable system will restore the desired settings in a timely way to minimize wasted energy. Considerations for achieving optimum results include:
- Program configurations – some models allow each day’s programming to be the same, and others allow daily settings to be customized. Weekend and weekday variants are also available to match your household activity patterns.
- Setpoints and adjustments – 68 degrees is recommended as the ideal indoor setting for excellent energy and comfort results. Daytime and nighttime adjustments should be considered in light of your family’s activities.
- Alerts – a unit that alerts you to low battery levels and other system issues can be beneficial for continuous system performance.
High-Tech Advantages of Smart Thermostats
Smart thermostats coordinate home comfort control with wireless networks to provide remote access to settings. You can make adjustments with a smartphone or tablet app, or you can use your laptop or desktop computer to adjust settings or view performance reports. Additional benefits include:
- Equipment integration – models like Carrier’s Cor unit allow for integration with your existing or new HVAC equipment. You can also select smart thermostats from Carrier’s Infinity line or from Bryant’s Evolution line to work specifically with those series of heating and cooling units.
- Indoor air quality – take advantage of humidity and air filter monitoring and management.
- Alerts – be informed of system problems and regular maintenance needs.
At Kearney & Sons, we offer a full range of programmable thermostats to ensure that you can achieve excellent results from your home comfort system. Contact our Hampton office at 757-269-9589 to learn more.
