If you’ve read our 5 Energy Saving Tips or downloaded our 20 Energy Saving Tips, you will know that there are tons of ways for you to use energy wisely.

But have you ever asked yourself, “How much of a difference will it all make?”

We’ve decided to take one of the tips we recommended and give you a breakdown of the difference that it could make in your home.

A programmable thermostat is one that you can program to turn down the heat after you go to bed and turn back up when you normally awake and start your day. In the warmer months, a programmable thermostat can turn down your air conditioner when you leave, during the day, but have it back on just before you come home, ensuring that you’ll open the door to a nice cool house.

The simple practice of using a programmable thermostat can reduce heating and cooling bills by 10%.¹

Someone using an electric heater and a 2.5-ton air conditioner could save approximately $293.63 per year.

If someone kept this up, they could save between $22,000 and $23,000 over their lifetime! Even if they saved energy with programmable thermostats for half of that time, the impact would be huge.

For people who don’t wish to purchase a programmable thermostat, making sure to keep an eye on their temperature settings can still have an effect.

In 2003, the Canadian Centre for Housing Technology took a look at the impact of thermostat temperature settings on both gas and electricity consumption. They examined a mid-efficiency gas furnace for both the heating and cooling months.

Using 22°C as their benchmark for their daytime indoor winter temperature and lowered the temperature to 18°C at night, they recorded saving 6.5% in natural gas and reduced electricity consumption by 0.8%. Lowering the temperature to 16°C at night increased the savings further to 13% for natural gas and 2.3% in electricity.²

The simple act of either using a programmable thermostat or making sure to reduce your heat and air conditioning when you’re not awake or home really does have an impact. You’ll save money and will also conserve electricity. It’s a win-win!

Have you had a chance to read our 20 Energy Saving Tips?

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