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Programmable Thermostats: Unnecessary to Help Environment

Whether you believe in global warming or global cooling, I think conserving energy and natural resources is a sound idea when practical. However, I do not agree with Al Gore’s suggestion to buy a programmable thermostat.

Why buy a programmable thermostat when you can achieve the same savings by manually adjusting an old-fashioned thermostat? Simply turn up the temperature setting when you leave the house in the summer and set it back down when you return. You can also manually adjust the thermostat in winter to save on heating when you’re away; however, if you have a heat pump system, please note that it may be more efficient to simply leave the thermostat on a reasonable temperature. Check your specific manufacturer’s recommendations.

While Al Gore is asking Americans to send 100 million perfectly functional thermostats to landfills, The Low-Tech Times advises people to manually adjust their existing thermostats instead.


This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 20th, 2008 at 7:53 pm and is filed under THINGS YOU DON'T NEED, household items/appliances. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

4 Responses to “Programmable Thermostats: Unnecessary to Help Environment”

  1. Greekgirl MD Says:
    February 26th, 2008 at 1:08 pm

    Generally, I (of the boomer generation) do agree with a low-tech approach. Don’t need all the bells and whistles, thanks. And, your manual solution is fine for singles and folks with no kids. But, I love our programmable thermostat because in the winter with a heat pump (ugh!), I can set the temp lower in the AM, and then have it reset a degree or two higher right before the kids come home from school. It then resets lower again at night. Saves me the ‘work’ of remembering to turn it down and the kids aren’t popsicles during the day!

  2. S.P. Gass Says:
    February 26th, 2008 at 3:44 pm

    GreekGirl MD, thanks for your thoughts. I’m sure the convienence of programmable thermostats is appreciated by many. For new construction or for those upgrading their system, programmable thermostats definitely deserve a good look. Thanks again.

  3. anthony stefanelli Says:
    March 4th, 2008 at 5:27 pm

    post your home link on all your pages

  4. S.P. Gass Says:
    March 4th, 2008 at 7:44 pm

    Thanks, Anthony. I’ll see about adding that. In the meantime, the Low-Tech Times banner at the top of each page links back to the main page.

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