Is Buying a Smart Thermostat Worth It?

Is it worth purchasing a smart thermostat? Smart thermostats allow you to make the most out of your heating system without wasting money or energy.

 

You can set your thermostat for a lower temperature during the heating season so that you don’t waste money (or energy). You can program your thermostat to turn on when you return home or manually adjust the heat. Imagine if your phone could tell your thermostat that you are on your way home. What if your thermostat could detect when you are near home and determine the best time to heat your home for your arrival? Although a thermostat may seem like a simple feature in your home, it can significantly affect your energy bills. Your thermostat controls almost half of your monthly energy costs. A smart thermostat could help lower your energy bills.

What is a Smart Thermostat?

Smart thermostats are also known as connected thermostats or communicating thermostats. They allow you to program and automate temperature settings according to your daily schedules, weather conditions and heating and cooling requirements. This advanced functionality is available on some Wi-Fi thermostats, but not all.

 

You can continue using a standard or manual programmable thermostat.

 

Smart thermostats can recognize patterns in a household and adjust heating or cooling accordingly to whether anyone is home. Lower temperatures when the house is vacant reduce heating and cooling costs.

Smart Thermostats Save Money

Standard programmable thermostats can save energy if they’re programmed correctly. Research has shown that most residential users don’t program the thermostats or use the home function to alter the programming. A 2010 survey by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that 89% of respondents never or rarely used their thermostats to program a weekday or weekend schedule.

 

You might not notice significant savings if you are one of those people who is very diligent about monitoring their thermostat and using it. Smart thermostats can offer additional benefits such as remote access and energy reports, making them worthwhile.

How to Use a Smart Thermometer Out of the Box

You install smart thermostats in the same way as regular models. However, you will need to adjust them for the first week manually. After you adjust the thermostat to your preferred comfort level a few times per day (usually when you wake up, leave the house, come home, and go to bed), the thermostat will learn these preferences and make adjustments automatically. The thermostat can adapt to your changing schedule and save money on heating or cooling when you aren’t home.

Considerations When Installing a Smart Thermostat

It would be best if you did not buy a smart thermostat unless you are sure that your HVAC and electrical systems can work with it. You can check compatibility online for many of the most popular models.

Enjoy Wi-Fi and Smart Devices

• Keep your Wi-Fi password close at hand.
• A smartphone, tablet or computer is required to get the best out of your smart thermostat’s remote monitoring and control capabilities.