Installation is super easy and took me all of 5 minutes...playing around with the settings did take a little getting used to but once you figure it out, it's well worth it.
Easy installation for the DIY kind of person. I installed in place of an existing standard thermostat control - just be sure to follow the wiring diagram of your existing vs. this unit.
There are a few different ways to program this unit. The option I took was weekdays/weekends, 4 temp periods a day - morning, afternoon, evening, night. It definatly gives you ways to have optimal control over temperature. If you are unexpectedly home, or just want to change the temps a bit - there is a big "Home Today" button that allows you to instantly over-ride the programming and set the temps to your comfort level. ...this is really easy to do - if you use it all the time it will defeat the purpose of this kind of unit. Luckily it will go back to the regular program after a designated period of time, so if you forget, it won't :-)
Overall - the savings are noticable on our utility bills, easy to use, low price. Love it!