I am fortunate that my work responsibilities are entirely handled online. As long as I have my laptop and internet connection I can complete my tasks from anywhere. While I sometimes post up at a coffee shop and have worked from the balcony of a vacation resort, I typically sit at my desk at home. I’ve found that I am more productive in my own office. I have a very comfortable ergonomic swivel chair, sturdy desk and I play my favorite music. I set my own hours and wear my sweatpants. However, working from home means that my air conditioner and furnace carry a heavier workload. When I used to leave the house every morning, I had the thermostat adjusted to conserve energy. For approximately eight hours, the heating or cooling system only needed to run at a very low level. Once I was home all day, I was adjusting the indoor temperature to keep me perfectly comfortable. The furnace and air conditioner were consuming a great deal of energy to maintain the entire house at that level. Since I was only occupying a single room, this was a waste of money. I got in touch with a local HVAC contractor, explained the situation and asked for recommendations. He immediately suggested that I update the heating and cooling system to zone control. Because the equipment is fairly new, this improvement wasn’t overly difficult, invasive or expensive. Valves implemented into the ductwork direct airflow to specific rooms. These valves are linked to independent thermostats in each room. Because the thermostats feature wifi connectivity, I can make changes through an app on my smartphone or laptop. I don’t even need to leave my desk and I can personalize the temperature in the home office without impacting the rest of the house. Having zone control has already saved a significant amount of money on monthly utility bills.