Even slight temperature changes make a difference when it comes to staying comfortable—and your power bill. That’s why more Portland, OR, homeowners rely on smart thermostats to take control of their home comfort. These devices offer more than just convenience—they use adaptive temperature scheduling and connectivity to match your daily activities.
With these smart thermostat programming tips from the heating and cooling specialists at D & R Heating & Air, you can keep your space cozy while minimizing unnecessary energy use. Whether you're hoping to save on utility bills or enjoy a more efficient home, smart home climate control is the best move. In this blog, we’ll walk you through easy smart thermostat strategies. With this smart thermostat programming guide, you can make your HVAC system deliver comfort with less effort.
1. Set Schedules Around Your Daily Routine
Customize your smart thermostat settings to control temperatures according to your normal routine—cooler when you're away, warmer when you're home and comfortably adjusted for sleeping. By automatically shifting the temperature when no one’s home, these schedules eliminate wasteful heating or cooling. Some smart thermostats have the capability to adapt to your lifestyle and change temperature automatically.
Taking advantage of smart thermostat settings to change temperatures based on your daily routine provides comfort on your terms without wasting energy—all while saving money. Plus, it’s simple: you don’t have to manually update settings.
2. Customize Thermostat Settings for Each Season
One of the efficiency-boosting thermostat tips from the team at D & R Heating & Air is to use your smart thermostat to adjust your home’s temperature for each season. For instance, during winter, experts say the recommended thermostat setting for home energy efficiency is 68 degrees in the day and slightly lower at night. This method can lower heating bills by as much as 10% each year. That’s different from the ideal cost-saving temperature when it's hot outside, which is about 78 degrees. By changing the temperature in your home based on the seasons, you reduce unnecessary power usage and still enjoy a pleasant home.
3. Use Away or Eco Modes When You're Out
Smart or programmable thermostat schedules also lets you use special modes—such as Away and Eco—when you're not home. Away Mode lowers the temperature while you're gone. Eco Mode also adjusts the temperature and is perfect when longer absences, like vacations. These two settings let you save on power when you’re not home to enjoy the heating or cooling, but still keep your system operating to prevent dangerously high or low temperatures.
4. Personalize Your Home HVAC With Smart Thermostat Zoning Features
Some homes have extremely hot or cold rooms. A common example is a a second floor that’s always hotter than the main level. Installing an HVAC zoning system breaks the house into zones, allowing you to independently control temperatures in different parts or levels of your home. Smart thermostats enable you to set and adjust temperatures by zone, so you can always enjoy the perfect temperature.
5. Monitor and Fine-Tune for Maximum Savings
One of the advantages of smart thermostats is their ability to work with connected HVAC systems. More than simply controlling your heating and cooling system, the WiFi or Bluetooth connection lets your smart thermostat receive real-time data from the system itself. This means a home smart thermostat can monitor performance, inform you about AC or furnace repair and can even alert your local HVAC company when it's time for HVAC maintenance or repair.
This lets get prompt furnace or air conditioning repair as soon as your system needs it. Without this capability, a failing heating and cooling system could become less efficient and waste energy before you even notice—until the damage is done and your energy bills increase sharply.
Struggling to Set Your Thermostat? D & R Heating & Air Is Here For You
Smart thermostats have many benefits for your comfort and home energy efficiency. At D & R Heating & Air, we love assisting homeowners like you make the most out of smart thermostats and other smart HVAC technology. If you're interested, we can pair a smart thermostat with furnace or air conditioning installation—helping you enjoy the most possible comfort from your HVAC system. Or, we can walk you through how a smart thermostat and zoned HVAC system can make your upcoming AC or furnace installation that much more energy efficient. We're also happy to provide you with thermostat efficiency advice and demonstrate what these innovative tools are capable of.
The path to lowering your home heating bills with smart thermostats starts with a phone call. Schedule your appointment with D & R Heating & Air by calling 503-678-2517 today.
