Programmable Thermostats Review

Do Programmable Thermostats Save Money? The short answer is yes. More precisely, they save families an average of $300 to $400 a year on energy costs. According to Energy Star, an average household spends close to $2,200 a year on energy bills, half of which goes towards heating and cooling empty and unused spaces. In other words, people are spending too much to heat and cool their homes, and are wasting energy in the process.

If your energy bills are getting out of control, a simple programmable thermostat such as the Nest, the Hunter Touchscreen Max or the Honeywell Prestige Pro may save you thousands of dollars over the lifespan of your heating and cooling systems. And there is more to these devices than just saving money. They make it easy to preset the best temperature for you when you sleep, wake up, go to work and come home. Plus, using less energy means you are going green and helping the environment. If you are energy efficient, there are even added tax benefits that Uncle Sam will give you.

Programmable Thermostats: What to Look For

These programmable thermostats are smart. Our top-ranked thermostats will gradually adjust your home's temperature as efficiently as possible instead of, for example, switching on at 5:15 to quickly heat your home up 20 degrees by 5:30. Below, we break down the criteria we used to evaluate and rank the best programmable thermostats. Make sure to also check out our articles on programmable thermostats to learn about other energy saving techniques.

Scheduling & Programming
All the thermostats we reviewed come with default settings that deliver savings without sacrificing comfort. It's easy to turn these programs off to set your own. The key is to establish a program that doesn't waste energy when no one is at home. Some thermostats have a seven-day program, which you can program each individual day, or there is 5-1-1 scheduling where the weekdays are the same but each weekend day can be programmed individually or a 5-2 schedule where weekdays and weekends are on separate schedules. We prefer the flexibility of a seven-day program, but you should determine which option works best for your schedule.

Design
You don’t want people noticing your programmable thermostat when they first enter your home, unless it has a sleek, modern design to it. We give preference in our reviews to digital thermostats that have a touchscreen. These screens are large, back-lit and easy to read at night or even if there's a glare from direct sunlight. Some aren't touchscreens, but still offer large digital screens. Some units also have a built-in level for easy installation.

Features
Believe it or not, even thermostats have extra features. Many display the humidity and temperature both inside and outside the house. Some thermostats also have built-in Wi-Fi capabilities, which will link to external weather services and send schedule information to your online account. You can then view this information, or adjust the temperature, from a computer or mobile device. There are even programmable thermometers that have the ability to program themselves after a week's worth of temperature changes you make.

Warranty & Support
If you choose to install a thermostat yourself, make sure you choose a manufacturer that offers detailed manuals to help you. Programming them can also be difficult. Every thermostat we reviewed comes with a programming manual for easy setup and warranties that last up to 10 years.

Our top thermostats feature the best features from each ranking criteria category. Having a programmable thermostat in your home saves you time, uses less energy and in turn saves you money. If you have the same schedule week to week, or sometimes forget to turn the heater off, programming a thermostat is the easiest way to make sure your home stays comfortable and you aren't paying for unused energy.

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