Why Smart Thermostats Are Worth It

If you’re looking for a way to spend less money and energy in your home, it might be a wise investment to explore getting a smart thermostat. These gadgets can do everything from track when you leave the house, so that it doesn’t throw away electricity heating or cooling an empty home, to adjusting 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 works and why it’s worth it to purchase one. We’ll also discuss how it can help you save 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 changing your heating and cooling settings for various 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 change your settings and make automatic adjustments as time passes based on what they learn from you.

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

How Do Smart Thermostats Work?

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

Smart thermostat features include a temperature sensor that can tell when the home is empty, and then automatically adjust to an energy-efficient setting. Your smart thermostat might 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 full 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 going.

Are Smart Thermostats Worth It?

For some people, the answer is yes. If you do a lot of travel or are gone for many hours during the day, it may be worth your money to invest in one of these devices. You could save a lot, especially if you forget to change it when you leave for work 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 adjust the temperature setting before you left. It doesn’t require much effort from you, but you’ll notice it in reduced energy bills.

Smart Thermostats vs. Programmable Thermostats

Most homeowners have a standard programmable thermostat, but 40% of them aren’t set properly. This means you could be missing opportunities 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 work to program your thermostat by hand.

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

Do Smart Thermostats Save Energy?

Yes, because your smart thermostat will learn from your temperature preferences and routine to make a schedule that reduces 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 get identical energy savings with a programmable thermostat, but it’s going to require a little bit more work than a smart thermostat. To set up 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: Higher than 70 degrees.
    • Sleep: Decrease at least 8 degrees.

Suggested Temperature Settings for Your Cooling System

    • Wake: Higher than 78 degrees.
    • Day: Set up at least 7 degrees, if no one is home.
    • Evening: Cooler than 78 degrees.
    • Sleep: Increase at least 4 degrees.

As you can see, you don’t have to buy a smart thermostat to spend less on 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 prominent smart thermostat manufacturers, states its smart thermostat saves U.S. households about:

    • 10-12% on your heating bill
    • 15% on your cooling bill
    • $131 to $145 on your energy bill each year

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

Your possible savings differ based on your home, where you live, how much insulation you have and your preferred temperature settings. You might see average savings, significant savings or somewhere in between.

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

Smart thermostats make this simple through their hands-off process that slowly 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

Many utility companies offer rebates to homeowners who install energy-saving, ENERGY STAR-certified equipment such as a smart thermostat. The rebate total varies by company, but in most instances, it will take care of most or all the cost. To find out more, check your utility company’s website for rebate information.

Trust the Experts for Your Smart Thermostat Needs

Getting 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 run as promised, we offer free home comfort assessments. Call our Experts at 866-397-3787 to request yours now!

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