Print edition: 
Looking to save on energy bills, about 900 Kansans have taken Westar Energy up on its offer of a free programmable thermostat since the program began a month ago.
That's 900 down, 89,100 to go, said Karen Smith, a manager of the "Wattsaver" program.
"We hope to install 90,000 by the end of 2016," Smith said. "That's (a population) about the size of Lawrence."
The thermostats and installation services that Westar is providing for free would cost about $300 if consumers paid for them themselves, Smith said.
Programmable thermostats automatically heat and cool the house when there are people there and awake to notice the difference. During pre-programmed times, such as when the occupants are at work or asleep, the thermostat can be set to allow the temperature to rise or fall to save power and/or natural gas — and money.
A programmable thermostat alone can reduce a home's energy usage by as much as 20 percent, with negligible effect on the comfort of the home's occupants, Smith said.
In addition to being programmable, the thermostats being given out by Westar can be remote-controlled over the Internet.
A homeowner who goes on vacation and forgets to turn down the thermostat would be able to do that online from any computer, she said.
Also, the thermostat itself will learn how long it takes to cool or warm the house and adjust for that.
"It will gradually warm the house, so when your tootsies hit the floor (in the morning), it's at the designated temperature," Smith said.
During peak electrical usage in the summer months of June through September, the thermostat will allow Westar to reduce energy demand systemwide by "cycling" customers' air-conditioner compressors.
What that means is that by sending the thermostat a radio signal, Westar will be able to turn the compressor — the biggest energy drain in a home air-conditioning system — on and off at 15-minute intervals for about four hours a day.
The concept has been tested and was found to be successful in the Kansas City area, said David Springe, chief of the Kansas Citizens' Utility Ratepayer Board, the state agency that represents residential utility customers.
Even when the compressor is off, the air-conditioning fan continues to circulate cool air through the house, so most people don't notice any difference in temperature, he said.
For more information on the program or to sign up, call 888-753-6523 or visit www.westarenergy.com/wattsaver.
