Saving Money On HVAC Work

Posted on: 25 September 2015

Small business owners often own the same building where their business is housed. Sometimes this can be an additional headache for a small business owner, who has to keep up with maintenance and look for ways to save energy costs while wearing several other hats. 

Fortunately, there are many resources available for you as a small business owner to improve areas where you may be wasting energy. One of the most simple and least time-consuming is to make changes to your thermostat.

Energy-Saving Benefits of Programmable Thermostats

Programmable thermostats are often installed in residential environments, but they can also help small businesses save money. In fact, they can be even more helpful for small businesses because hours are a bit more regulated, helping you save up to 10 percent in energy costs just by lowering the temperature a few additional hours each day.

• Set the thermostat to make your office or retail space the right temperature just as you open. This lets the heating and cooling system gradually ramp up to the correct temperature, rather than have you crank it up or down dramatically when you walk in the door. This puts less stress on the whole system, too.
• The thermostat can start to power down your heating or cooling systems around closing time. Your system is on for less time than it would be if you turn down the heat or air conditioning when you walk out the door.
• If you sometimes come early or stay late, you can choose a thermostat that detects human movement and keeps the temperature regulated if it senses that people are at work.
• Keep the power off on days you are closed. Older programmable thermostats could put the heating or cooling on at a set time each day, but newer ones let you set different patterns for each day or for weekdays vs. weekends.

Increases in Worker Productivity

Temperature matters -- a lot -- to employees. If they aren't comfortable, they can't do their best work. In fact, more than one-third of workers say that office temperature directly affects their ability to perform their tasks. 

A programmable thermostat can take into account factors like a warmer area of the office in the afternoon; you can lower the temperature a couple of degrees at a set time each day. This helps keep workers from manually making changes to the thermostat or even fighting over what the temperature should be. 

Employees who are still unhappy with the temperature can take additional steps, such as dressing in layers or using a small desktop fan, to get more comfortable.

Setting up a programmable thermostat at your small business can help you save on energy costs, make your employees happier and reduce arguments over office temperature. Talk to your HVAC service contractor about installing one in your office.