Everyone knows that using a programmable thermostat is a must if you heat during winters. The trouble is that most people don't know how to program them or they just don't do it. Most of the costs of these thermostats is offset within a year, making them ideal to save some money this winter.
Using a programmable thermostat correctly can lead to 10% savings on your heating bill. Sure, the thermostats are fancy and have great displays, but some of them are overcomplicated and hard to use. The Trane XL800 Deluxe Programmable Digital Thermostat offers reliable, precise temperature control all day, all year. The XL800 allows you to automatically adjust the temperature in your home according to your family’s schedule, so you can save energy with lower temperatures while you’re away, while still having the temperatures reset to the desired level just in time for your return home.
The XL800 comes with a 10-inch touch screen back-lit display and it's Energy Star® compliant. You can set minimum and maximum heating and cooling ranges. The vacation program can last up to 256 days. The big deal isn't just about the programmable thermostats, it's about installing a highly efficient furnace. Couple one of those with the XL800, and you'll be saving about 40% of your heating bill. 47% of the yearly power bill goes toward heating and cooling, so this is a significant amount of money. The average home spends about $2.300 on their power bill. Doing the math yields quite a significant saving. The cost of an efficient HVAC system is eased with a 30% federal tax credit as well. The XL800 is available from a variety of dealers. Head on over to the Trane website to find the one nearest to you. Price vary, but we've seen the XL800 for $150. A professional installation will cost somewhere between $50-$100.
[All costs and estimates on savings are via the Alliance to Save Energy, head photo by Trane, inline photo by 2degreepledge]
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I rented a place with a nice programmable thermostat and never really got the point of it….
When used effectively, these types of thermostats can help reduce your power bill. Most people tend to not use them properly. At the end of the year, you can save a bunch of money if you use these programs.
Does anyone know of a thermostat that has a remote temperature sensor? Our loft gets too hot even when we set the temp to 68. If the sensor was upstairs with us that would help with the temperature difference.
it may say Trane, but that's a Honeywell thermo... i have one just like it for my Goodman heatpump.
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i've got my eye on the Honeywell Prestige HD thermostat. Seems to have as many, if not more features than this one, and is beautiful.
And yes, it has a remote (outdoor) thermometer.
@Beaur:
Try http://www.prothermostats.com/product.php?product=101034&gclid=CPrrt_Hlo5ACFQNtsgodNmbi8g
It's wireless. You put the thing where you want the temp to be sensed.
An honest question; what does a programmable thermostat do that I can’t do myself with a standard thermostat?
@sciteach: I'm five months late, but in case somebody else is reading, it automatically raises and lowers your temp throughout the day/week to keep you from having to think to do it and to keep you from forgetting and wasting heat or a/c. Especially in winter, it's helpful -- once you program it, it'll raise the temp just in time for you to wake up, lower it so it's dropping again as you're leaving for work, keep it low all day while you're gone, raise it so it's back to warm right as you get home, then lower it as you go to bed. Some people who have sleep issues also find that it helps them -- the lowering temp in the half-hour or hour before bedtime (if you decide to have it make the switch while you're still awake instead of after you've gotten in bed) helps get your body in time-to-go-to-sleep mode. Lots of them will let you set a different schedule for every day of the week, or weekdays vs. weekends, and you can always shut the auto mode off if you want to drive for some reason. People buy 'em because you don't have to wait for things to warm up when you get up or first get home -- the temp's always perfect, you're never heating (or cooling) an empty house, and after you set it the once at the beginning of the season, you don't have to touch it again for six months or so. Yeah, you can do it yourself manually, but this way's easier and you never have to get up into a cold house, bump up the heat, then sit and shiver for the first little while. It's nice for people who aren't concerned enough about saving energy/money to keep the temp pretty much the same all the time (e.g. 55-60F in winter), but concerned enough to only want to be using that extra energy/money when they really want it...especially if they don't like being uncomfortable while waiting on the furnace to warm the place up.