Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
Install a Setback Thermostat
Take control of heating and cooling costs in your house by installing a setback thermostat that lets you adjust the temperature in the house to your lifestyle automatically. The unit lowers the heat at night or when no one is home, and raises it before the family gets up in the morning or arrives back home. In the summer you can control the cooling settings in the same way. You can expect to save between 2 and 3 percent of your heating and cooling cost per degree of setback during a typical eight-hour setback period.

A heating contractor will charge $100 to remove an existing thermostat and install a new programmable setback unit. A homeowner with basic electrical skills can do the job for $55, saving 45 percent. Pro vs DIY Cost and TimeYou'll need an electric drill, wire-cutter/stripper tool, hammer, screwdriver, carpenter's level and some electrical tape. The job involves removing the old device from the wall, identifying the wires and connecting the old wires to the new thermostat. Before you begin turn the power off to the furnace at the main switch. The job should take a couple of hours, plus setting the time cycles to your daily schedule.

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