Lowe's celebrates ENERGY STAR day on Oct. 23 with commitment to energy costs savings
Imagine if simply purchasing healthy food immediately made us healthy. Awesome, right? But we know a successful commitment requires action to achieve our goals – and that applies to home management. Buying energy saving products is just the first step to achieving an energy efficient home; proper installation and set-up are critical to maximizing those tools.
Did you know the majority of people who buy smart thermostats never program them? If the smart features are never used, that means you could be leaving money (and energy savings!) on the table. To take full advantage of your smart thermostat, it’s important to program it to work for you. Here are some simple tips:
- Set up a schedule for home/away. In the winter, try setting it to 68 degrees when you’re home and 60 degrees when you’re away or sleeping. In the summer, set it to 75-78 degrees when home and 85-88 when you’re away.
- Use geo-fencing to have the system automatically change settings when you are home and away.
- Use vacation mode to let the thermostat know when you will be gone from your home for longer periods of time.
Today, the average American household spends almost half its annual energy bill on heating and cooling – more than $900 a year. Controlling temperature settings with an ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostat will maximize savings and home comfort. Each product uses slightly different features to help save energy, but just a little research can help identify the ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostat that’s right for you. (Hint: You might find one in tomorrow’s Deal of the Day.)
To celebrate Energy Awareness Month and ENERGY STAR Day (Oct. 23), Lowe’s is spotlighting its commitment to save customers more than $40 billion in energy costs through the sales of ENERGY STAR products by 2025. We’re also taking some of the guesswork out of how a smart thermostat can work hardest to save you money.
Quick ENERGY STAR facts:
- ENERGY STAR certified products helped consumers save $20 billion in energy costs in 2016, adding up to energy cost savings of more than $280 billion since 1992.
- By choosing ENERGY STAR, a typical household can save about $575 on their energy bills and still enjoy the quality and performance they expect.
- About 75 percent of U.S. households report the ENERGY STAR label influences their purchasing decisions.
- 80% of purchasers would recommend ENERGY STAR products to a friend.
Features to consider in an ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostat:
- Remote control: Using a smartphone, homeowners can adjust the temperature in their home from anywhere with an internet connection.
- Geofencing allows a smart thermostat to detect when residents have left for the day so it can ‘set back’ the HVAC system and save money on heating or A/C bills. A smart thermostat also can automatically adjust the temperature when residents are headed home, ensuring the most comfortable conditions await.
- Ability to learn temperature preferences: Certain ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostats can learn your preferences automatically and establish a schedule that adjusts to energy-saving temperatures when you are asleep or away.
- Over-the-Air updates: A smart thermostat may update its software periodically to ensure it uses the latest algorithms and energy-saving features available.
Buying tips:
- Make sure the smart thermostat is compatible with your heating and cooling system. For the highest efficiency heating and cooling equipment, consider a controller from the same company.
- If a smart thermostat uses WIFI, make sure it’s reasonably close to the router to prevent periodic disconnections. If a smart thermostat is far from the router, consider a Wi-Fi range extender, which can improve overall connectivity.
- ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostats are also designed to be compatible with the programs that some local utilities offer, providing home owners in their service territory with incentives to help them manage reliability.
- Some utility providers offer rebates on smart thermostats, so be sure to check the rebate finder at lowes.com or energystar.gov
Check out this infographic to learn more about ENERGY STAR smart thermostats and read more about ENERGY STAR by visiting the EPA ENERGY STAR homepage.