The Climate Action Easy Button: Programmable Thermostats

Did you know?  Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems use more than half of the energy in most commercial buildings. Did you also know that in many buildings, those systems are running full-blast even when no one is there?  That’s a lot of energy - and money - wasted for the benefit of….no one.  Happily, there’s often an easy fix.

Let’s say you run a business, and you’ve got a laundry list of ways you wish your building HVAC system was better:  You wish utility bills weren’t so high.  You wish your employees wouldn’t leave the heat blasting overnight, and that there was an easier way to adjust the temperature before you arrive in the morning. You wish you had time to think about the community and environmental impacts of your business.  You wish people would stop stealing your snacks out of the refrigerator.

The good news?  There’s one super-simple solution that helps with ALL of these things.*  Programmable thermostats!  They’re low-cost, easy to install, easy to use, and highly impactful (on both costs and energy use - remember, HVAC accounts for 50-70% of energy use). And they’re either missing or ignored in three out of four properties visited by C3’s professional energy assessment team. Why are these tantalizing triumphs of technology so underutilized? 

1.) Someone told us it’s better to keep the temperature the same all the time.

Solution: This is incorrect - setting back your thermostat when the space is unoccupied for multiple hours saves significant energy.  According to the US Department of Energy, “[y]ou can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by simply turning your thermostat back 7°-10°F for 8 hours a day from its normal setting.” See here (accessed 1.27.2025).  Just like putting more air into a balloon builds up pressure, pushing more air into your building adds pressure and increases leakage; if you back off on the HVAC, the pressure goes down (as does the difference in temperature - another important factor), meaning you lose less conditioned air to the outside. 

Note for heat pumps:  heat pump temperatures can be adjusted to reflect occupancy, but make sure your thermostat is set to avoid use of auxiliary or emergency heat, which can be inefficient and expensive. If you don’t have a heat-pump-friendly thermostat (or a wise HVAC contractor you can ask), keep your temperature adjustments within 2-4°F at a time.

2.) They cost a little more, so HVAC contractors default to non-programmable options, which require manual intervention to prevent heat and AC from running when no one is in the building.

Solution: Replace the thermostat with a basic programmable or wifi-capable option. Basic options run less than $50, or if you want control from remote locations, wifi options start around $130 (DIY, or professional installation will cost a little more).  See some recommended models here.  If you’re having HVAC work done, make sure that any new thermostats are programmable. There are rebates available too!  See here for Dominion business customers and here for Charlottesville utility customers.

3.) The existing program didn’t reflect your business schedule, so someone overrode it and put it in manual mode.

Solution: Consult with the people who occupy the space, and reprogram it to reflect actual operating hours and needs. Make sure people are aware of thermostat setpoint policies (outlined below) and consult with leadership rather than adjusting the temperature themselves.

4.) Thermostat wars: one person turns up the temperature. Someone else turns it down. Secret coalitions develop. Tensions rise.

Solution: Consult with the people who occupy the space, adopt clear thermostat setpoint policies that balance comfort, cost, and environmental goals, and program all thermostats in line with these policies.  For example: heating setpoints shall be 68°F when the building is occupied, and 62°F or lower when unoccupied. Cooling setpoints shall be 76°F when occupied, 80°F or higher when unoccupied.  Lock thermostats or place limits on the range of allowable setpoints (e.g., +/- 2°F).  Communicate these policies clearly, and support facilities staff who face complaints when they operate according to these policies.  Adjust over time to best meet occupant needs.


Accommodate people who “run hot”, “run cold”, or work in high-temperature areas like kitchens by providing fans to move air, varying dress codes to allow for season-appropriate clothing, encouraging appropriate dress (e.g., no flip-flops and shorts with space heaters under the desk), or making other allowances. 

5.) No one can figure out how to use it.

Solution: Locate the user manual (physical or online), and determine if the unit can be easily reprogrammed. Contact C3 for free help at corp@theclimatecollaborative.org. If it’s just too complicated, replace it with a more intuitive option that’s better suited to your needs (see #1 above for some options). 

6.) No one knows where it is.

Solution: Determine who controls the temperature by asking the building manager or owner. Make them cookies. Ask them about setpoint policies, determine who else occupies space controlled by the same unit, see if there are ways to better accommodate your schedule, or if it might be possible to install a mini-split or other solution tailored to your space. 

Why do all this?  In most homes and businesses, HVAC accounts for the lion’s share of energy use and cost, and is a huge contributor to global carbon emissions.  Without a programmable thermostat, you’re heating and cooling spaces when you don’t even need it! This is a waste of money and energy, and creates an extra burden on aging utility infrastructure. And when you’re running a business, you can hardly find a better way to reduce operating costs with so little effort than by using a programmable thermostat.  


Even if you don’t own a business, we have homework for you: at your home or office, or your favorite restaurant, or your dentist’s office, ask one simple question - does the HVAC shut off when the building is empty? If nobody knows (and there’s a good chance they don’t) go find the thermostat on the wall and see if it includes the words “program” or “schedule” on the screen or the buttons. If it doesn’t, then you’ve got a climate solution at your fingertips that could save 25-30% in energy costs!  Pass along our handy thermostat info page (LINK to webpage), and let C3 know - we’ll reach out to them for moral support (and expert guidance).

Programmable thermostats.  They’re the secret, boring superheroes of the energy world. 

*Except your snacks, although we really wish they could…consider a lockable lunchbox or cockroach clip instead.

Access the thermostat resource page here: https://www.theclimatecollaborative.org/thermostat