Earth Day turns 41 this year, and it falls on Friday (Good Friday) — April 22. We figured we’d support the whole “awareness effort” by doling out a healthy serving of earth-friendly tips – One A Day through April 22.

Today’s tip: Install programmable thermostats to control the temperature in different rooms or zones of your home.

• Program different temps for day, night or your work schedule. Most programmable thermostats allow you to control the temperate of a room or zone for hours of the day, days of the week etc. Summertime, you can cool your bedroom at night while having the rest of the house on a higher temp. And if you’re lucky enough to own a second home – during winter and fall, you can program it to raise the heat for your weekend arrival, and lower the temp when you’re not there.

As much as half of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling. By turning your thermostat up or down by just one degree, you can save 5 to 10% on your home energy bill. It’s estimated that each one-degree drop for an eight-hour period can reduce your fuel bill about one percent. Over time, this savings will add up and pay for the one-time investment you make in programmable thermostats.

• While you’re at at – be sure to draft-proof your home, up to 20% of heat-loss in winter may be caused by drafts alone.
• find more info regarding Energy Star programmable thermostats.