Programming your way to lower heating bills

So we're at the tail end of the winter but if you have a cooling system in your house the info in this post can also be directly applied to that as well. Do you have a programmable thermostat? I've been taking notice around and it seems like a lot of people still aren't on that train. We got on it last year and this winter we saw dramatic savings in our heat bill.  (sources say you can save 20% annually!) They range in cost (about $30-$75) but I think I got mine at Rona at a crazy sale for like $15. It pays for itself within one month in the winter I swear!

Look at the features before buying based on how you live. For example some you can make a separate program for every day (mine), some have one for weekdays/weekends and other may only have 1 setting. This would only be ideal if there is someone home at your house most of the time (and your dog doesn't count)

Basically you can program it for up to 4 times a day. Mine is set to 19C just before we wake up, 16C during the day, 20C just before we get home, 17C just before we go to bed. I would suggest not varying your temperatures by more than about 5C degrees but there is no point in paying to heat your house while you aren't there or sleeping! Lowering your overall temperature by a degree or 2 can  also have big effects over a 30 day period. In my opinion if you are wearing just a t-shirt in your house in the winter you're being an energy pig!

Another fun fact is that room temperature can play a crucial role in how well you sleep. I normally don't have any trouble sleeping but insomniacs tend to have a higher core body temperature than normal before bed. So maybe take that into consideration.

Also I realize that many people are renters. I don't know of many landlords that would be opposed to installing a programmable thermostat. If you pay your own utilities, foot the cost yourself, it's worth it with our winters. I now regret not doing that at the last house I rented. If you don't pay utilities but your landlord is constantly complaining about how high your heating bills are then make the suggestion. You can easily change it yourself with minimal tools. If you need help, Home Depot peeps are really knowledgable or you can send me an email and I can help you out (I do electrical work for a living for those who don't know).