So how much energy are we wasting?
A lot, it turns out. The EPA says a properly programmed thermostat can cut 20% off your heating and cooling bill. But to program it right, we have to give the thermostat an exact schedule: lower the temperature at 8 AM, turn it up when we get home, lower it again when everyone’s in bed. The problem is, our lives don’t go according to schedule: we leave for the weekend, go out to dinner, stay up till 1 AM. Programming an older thermostat right is almost impossible. According to one study, 90% of programmable thermostats are rarely or never programmed. The EPA even took away their Energy Star rating. So we started looking for alternatives.