What Is a Programmable Thermostat?

By Anne Fonda

An HVAC system thermostat tells your heating and cooling system what to do. A programmable home thermostat lets you program a schedule to ensure you’re always comfortable and not wasting money heating or cooling an empty house.

In a word, no. Keeping your home at the same temperature all winter or summer long wastes energy and costs you more than if you used a programmable thermostat. By setting a lower or higher temperature while you’re away at work or on vacation, you can realize substantial savings.

When you take advantage of all their features, programmable thermostats offer an easy way to save energy and reduce your heating and cooling costs. According to the Department of Energy (DOE), you can save as much as 10% a year on your heating and cooling bills by setting the temperature back 7-10° F for 8 hours a day while you’re at work.

You can save even more if you lower or raise the temperature at night while you’re sleeping. You’ll also see a big reduction in your energy bill if you use a special vacation setting while you’re away for a week or more at a time.

Just be sure to set the temperature no lower than 50° F in the winter and no higher than 85° F in the summer. If you have pets or sensitive plants in your home while you’re away, you will want to adjust those temperatures.

If you have a heat pump system, you’ll need a special heat pump programmable thermostat, and the recommendations may be different for winter.

Follow the directions in your owner’s manual. Most programmable thermostats have one or more of the following schedules.

Within those schedules, there are general options for Wake, Daytime, Evening, and Night. Your thermostat may call the periods something else. There may also be options for Away or Vacation. You will need to program temperature settings for Cooling mode and one for Heating mode.

To save the most, set the summer cooling temperature as high as is comfortable. Try 75° F to start. You can always adjust it. Set the winter heating temperature to 68°F. You can always wear a sweater.

The big difference between the two is the ability to program a heating and cooling schedule. If you want to save money on your energy bills, a programmable thermostat or smart thermostat is the way to go.

That’s because most people with non-programmable thermostats routinely forget to turn the temperature up or down when they leave the house.

A smart thermostat is a programmable thermostat with a lot of additional features. Sometimes referred to as a Wi-Fi thermostat, a smart thermostat connects to the internet. This allows you to control it remotely via an app. Some smart thermostats learn your habits and will automatically adjust the temperature when you leave or when you come home.

If you like technology and want to save energy, a smart thermostat may be the way to go.

That’s a matter of personal choice. But we would say that the best programmable thermostat for your home is one that is compatible with your system and has all the features you want and will use. The Silver 303 is our best programmable thermostat.

American Standard offers four different programmable thermostats. Two are suitable for use with dual-fuel heat pump systems. All of them are 7-day programmable thermostats, with the option of a 5-1-1 program schedule as well. View the product brochure to compare the models.

You may also want to review the smart programmable thermostats brochure to get a good feel for both types and which type is better suited for your HVAC system and lifestyle.

If you’re looking into thermostat replacement, your local American Standard dealer can help you choose between a programmable thermostat and a smart thermostat. You should know that certain communicating HVAC systems require a specific smart thermostat and control system.

A Content Writer with Trane Technologies, Anne Fonda researches topics and writes for Trane® and associated residential HVAC brands. She works in collaboration with Trane Technologies subject matter experts, offering easy-to-understand, informative content on complex topics. Her goal is to help consumers make informed decisions on the products and services they need. 

She has written for HVAC and other service provider websites for over 16 years. Before transitioning to web content writing, Anne had a 14-year stint as an award-winning journalist. She graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism. When she’s not working, Anne enjoys playing word games, reading, gardening, spending time with family, and visiting gardens and museums.

Expert review by Michael Morey, Product Management Leader, Hardware at Trane Technologies