Why Smart Thermostats Are Worth It

If you want a way to spend less money and energy in your home, it might be a worthwhile investment to research getting a smart thermostat. These devices can do everything from monitor when you leave the house, so that it doesn’t waste electricity heating or cooling a vacant home, to changing energy usage based on how many people are in a room or what time of day it is.

We’ll cover what a smart thermostat is, how it runs and why it’s worth it to purchase one. We’ll also talk about how it can help you spend less money on your energy bills by decreasing energy consumption.

What Is a Smart Thermostat?

A smart thermostat is a programmable device that allows you to do everything from adjusting your heating and cooling settings for different times of day, to tracking when people are in the house, so it isn’t wasting energy by heating or cooling a vacant home.

Most smart thermostats have learning capabilities, which means they pay attention to how you adjust your settings and make automatic adjustments as time passes based on what they learn from you.

A smart thermostat connects to Wi-Fi, so you’ll be able to adjust and monitor your energy usage from just about anywhere.

How Do Smart Thermostats Work?

A smart thermostat has learning algorithms and can connect with other smart home technology, like Google Home, Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit, for even better control over your comfort. They’re compatible with most systems, such as home heating and air conditioning.

Smart thermostat features include a temperature sensor that can detect when the home is empty, and then automatically adjust to an energy-efficient setting. Your smart thermostat may be able to geofence with your phone to know when you’re at home or away.

A smart thermostat does tasks like adapt more for rooms that are occupied or have more people in them, as well as monitor what time of day it is so it knows how much heating or air conditioning should be used.

Are Smart Thermostats Worth It?

For some people, the answer is yes. If you do a lot of travel or are out for many hours during the day, it may be worth your money to get one of these devices. You could save a significant amount, especially if you forget to change it when you leave for the office or go out of town for the weekend.

You won’t have to worry about whether your smart thermostat is on the appropriate program, or if you remembered to change the temperature setting before you left. It doesn’t require a lot of effort on your part, but you’ll see it in reduced energy bills.

Smart Thermostats vs. Programmable Thermostats

Many homeowners have a standard programmable thermostat, but 40% of them aren’t set properly. This means you could be missing chances to save on heating and cooling costs.

Smart thermostats are handy because they adjust to your schedule and automate heating and cooling that corresponds. You can set a comparable schedule on a programmable thermostat. But it’s more effort to program your thermostat by hand.

A smart thermostat automatically adjusts and gradually changes the temperature inside your home for the biggest energy savings. If you manually adjust a programmable thermostat, you can overload your HVAC system and make it work harder to meet your adjustments.

Do Smart Thermostats Save Energy?

Yes, since your smart thermostat will learn about your temperature preferences and routine to make a schedule that saves on heating and cooling costs. You don’t have to do much as your thermostat does all the work for you while conserving money.

You can acquire the same energy savings with a programmable thermostat, but it’s going to require a little bit more effort than a smart thermostat. To put together a schedule on programmable models, we advise following these guidelines from ENERGY STAR® to save energy.

Recommended Temperature Settings for Your Heating System

• • Wake: Under 70 degrees.

• • Day: Set back at least 8 degrees, if no one is there.

• • Evening: Greater than 70 degrees.

• • Sleep: Decrease at least 8 degrees.

Recommended Temperature Settings for Your Cooling System

• • Wake: Greater than 78 degrees.

• • Day: Set up at least 7 degrees, if no one is there.

• • Evening: Lower than 78 degrees.

• • Sleep: Increase at least 4 degrees.

As you can see, you don’t have to buy a smart thermostat to decrease your energy bill. All you need is a programmable thermostat, but it’s essential to note that any savings may come at the cost of your comfort and convenience.

Do Smart Thermostats Save Money

Nest, one of the most popular smart thermostat manufacturers, states its smart thermostat saves U.S. homeowners about:

• • 10-12% on your heating bill

• • 15% on your cooling bill

• • $131 to $145 on your energy bill annually

Your smart thermostat will give you a monthly heating and cooling report, which usually compares you to other residences in your community.

Your potential savings vary based on your home, where you live, how much insulation you have and your preferred temperature settings. You might experience average savings, significant savings or somewhere in the middle.

If you’re finding you’re only getting small savings on energy costs, you might be optimizing for energy efficiency currently. This includes switching off your HVAC system when you’re not at home or turning your thermostat up/down when you’re sleeping.

Smart thermostats make the process easy through their hands-off process that gradually shifts the temperature. If you’re at home often, it might not save you much on energy costs as is the point in an automated, energy-efficient schedule.

How to Get a Smart Thermostat Rebate

Most utility companies offer rebates to homeowners who purchase energy-saving, ENERGY STAR-certified equipment like a smart thermostat. The rebate amount varies by company, but in many instances, it will cover most or all the cost. To find out more, check your utility company’s website for rebate info.

Trust the Experts for Your Smart Thermostat Needs

Installing a smart thermostat is an investment, but it can save you money in the long run. If you’ve been thinking about getting one and want to know if they work as promised, we provide free home comfort assessments. Call our Experts at 866-397-3787 to request yours now!