Is It Time to Replace Your Old Thermostat Before Winter?

 A programmable thermostat can save you a lot of money on energy costs.

Everyone likes to find a little extra cash. That’s true when you discover a forgotten ten-dollar bill in the dryer, and it’s as true when your energy bills are lower than expected. For homeowners in the Northeast and across the country, investing in more efficient home heating can yield significant savings. Heating comprises the largest energy expense for most homeowners in our part of the U.S., amounting to 30% to 50% of annual energy bills.

Well, we have some good news and some better news on the home heating front. The good news is that there are a lot of ways to lower your home’s heat-related energy consumption without sacrificing comfort in the winter. The better news is that one of the most impactful changes you can make to reduce heating costs also has one of the lowest upfront costs: upgrading your thermostat.

How Does a Thermostat Upgrade Save Your Money?

The U.S. Department of Energy has found that most homes can cut their heating and cooling costs by up to 10% simply by adjusting the thermostat back 7°-10°F from its normal temperature for 8 hours a day.

You can easily accomplish this if your thermostat has programming capabilities. All you need to do is program these adjustments for when you are asleep or out of the house. And if you upgrade your thermostat to a more advanced, Wi-Fi-enabled device, you can save even more!

What Are Your Home Thermostat Options?

Understanding your thermostat options helps you choose the best fit for your home:

• Manual Thermostats are basic and affordable but require frequent adjustments and offer no scheduling.
• Programmable Thermostats let you set heating schedules that match your lifestyle, automatically adjusting temperatures for comfort and energy savings.
• Smart Thermostats take efficiency further with automatic adjustments when rooms are unoccupied — delivering effortless comfort and lower energy bills.

While smart thermostats cost more upfront, their precision and long-term savings make them a smart investment that pays off quickly.

What Other Benefits Do Smart Thermostats Have?

On the cost-savings front, today’s smart thermostats can have amazing efficiency features. Some products have sensors for individual rooms, and others can even lower your heating or air conditioning usage when they know that fuel and electricity rates are elevated.

Also, don’t underestimate the benefit of having remote access to your thermostat from a phone or tablet. You can adjust your temperature from bed if your room is too toasty. And if you’re out of town, you can open the smartphone app to check and tweak your home’s temperature.

Mirabito Energy Products Is Here for Your Heating Efficiency Needs

We are proud to have the most dependable, skilled and professional heating team in our service region, which includes:

• Central New York
• The Adirondacks
• Utica
• The New York Capital region
• The Catskills
• The Hudson Valley
• Mid- to Northern Pennsylvania
• Central and Western Connecticut
• Southern Vermont
• Western Massachusetts
• Rhode Island

We can help your home achieve new levels of energy efficiency with preventive heating maintenance, which lowers your energy consumption, extends your equipment lifespan and reduces the chance of service issues. If your boiler or furnace is nearing retirement, our team can install a high-efficiency replacement.

Don’t wait for a heating breakdown on a frigid night — get in touch with Mirabito today to arrange service.