Hard Times Present Opportunities to Save Money While Going Green Programmable Thermostats Using a programmable thermostat to manage the temperature in the home can produce significant savings whether heating or cooling. The ideal unit should provide the flexibility to program each day of the week and allow four different settings per 24 hour period. Home energy use can then be optimized by programming a heating or cooling pattern that fits the family lifestyle. In the heating mode this might mean warmer in the early morning, cooler during the day when out at work or working around the home, warmer in the evening while sitting down to dinner, reading or watching TV and cooler during the night while tucked up warm in bed. Managing heating and cooling costs in this way can save 20 percent to 30 percent on home energy bills.