Right - I've set it to drop the temperature to 65oF overnight now (hopefully). If I'm not back tomorrow, you'll know it didn't work and we died of hypothermia!

Not much good in a rental place, but this program might be of interest to those in need of an upgrade...

http://hydroone.apogee.net/smartstat/

Applies in Ontario, although something similar is likely evailable elsewhere or through you local utility supplier...

I would hazard a guess that with thermostats in each room they don't have a furnace but electric baseboard heaters.

Or radiant under-floor heat

Do you have thermostats in each room too?

I didn't realise they zoned it that way, no reason not to I guess I just never thought of it.

I somehow don't think it would work for us, Mrs_P and me if I'm honest like it to be quite cool at night and I don't think radiant heat is good for rapid cooling.

Yep, each room is it's own zone. We have a nice cool bedroom, warmer bathroom and lounge, cooler kitchen. Spare rooms are set at 16 degrees, and if we want to use them it only takes a few hours for them to rise 3 of 4 degrees. Cooling does take a little longer though - once the concrete slab's up to temperature it retains heat very efficiently.

Had spotted that on our bill, but didn't know if the landlord would take kindly too it! Isn't that more for turning down the AC during summer so they don't get brownouts?

Yep, but its a free programable thermostat, and you can (I think) change temps over the internet and stuff (Should you wany to???)

I think you have to be the homeowner to apply for it anyway.

Now where have I heard that before? Oh yes....in this house.

I set the thermostats at 15c in every room but the girls keep complaining about being cold and turning them up to 20c. Something they haven't sussed out yet is that it is too cold and I can blame them for the heating bills

Seriously our thermostats are so old I suspect there is a 4-5c margin of error. I have been in some rooms where it is set to 15c and it feels positively greenhouse like and others where it feels like the window is open.

Every room has it's own thermostat and I plan to replace them throughout next year for new fangled fancy dancy ones.

I have set ours to 12 C overnight and it comes on in the mornings to 18 C. Lately I've been increasing it to 19 or 20 as 18 doesn't seem warm enough - even with an extra jumper!!

you like the cold then?

Yes.

WE are in rental too- our last one was very annoying as it was unprogrammable. This one has weekend and weekday settings. Its in farenheit though. We set it to 64 in the day and night and 69 in the evenings and for a bit in the morning. It always annoys me as it comes on too early and wakes me up, but now I realise we have one of those fancy things that Oakvillian is on about and it prepares to achieve the temp at a particualr time- in which case I will just put it on later.

Gryph

We have ours on at 70 when we are in the house, and 64 when we are out during the day/ night.

I feel the cold, so like it nice and warm at all times, but we have not needed to adjust ours for many years. It stays on all the time, but in the summer the furnice just doesn't come on until it drops in temprature.