Why Smart Thermostats Are Worth It

If you’re looking for a way to save money and energy in your home, it may be a wise investment to explore getting a smart thermostat. These gadgets can do everything from monitor 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 review what a smart thermostat is, how it runs and why it’s worth it to invest in one. We’ll also talk about how it can help you spend less money on your energy bills by reducing energy consumption.

What Is a Smart Thermostat?

A smart thermostat is an automated device that allows you to do it all from changing your heating and cooling settings for different times of day, to tracking when people are in the house, so it isn’t needlessly consuming energy by heating or cooling an empty 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 change and keep track of your energy usage from just about anywhere.

How Do Smart Thermostats Work?

A smart thermostat has learning algorithms and can hook up 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, including home heating and air conditioning. Smart thermostat features consist of a temperature sensor that can detect 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 things like adapt more for rooms that are occupied or have more people in them, as well as track what time of day it is so it knows how much heating or air conditioning should be used.

Are Smart Thermostats Worth It?

For many 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 lot, especially if you forget to adjust it when you leave for work or go out of town for the weekend. You won’t have to be concerned about whether your smart thermostat is on the right program, or if you remembered to change the temperature setting before you left. It doesn’t require much effort on your part, but you’ll notice it in reduced energy bills.

Smart Thermostats vs. Programmable Thermostats

Most homeowners have a traditional programmable thermostat, but 40% of them aren’t set properly. This means you might be missing chances to save on heating and cooling expenses. Smart thermostats are convenient because they adjust to your schedule and automate heating and cooling to match. You can set a comparable schedule on a programmable thermostat. But it’s more work to program your thermostat manually. A smart thermostat conveniently adjusts and gradually changes the temperature inside your home for the greatest energy savings. If you manually change a programmable thermostat, you can overload your HVAC system and make it work harder to meet your adjustments.

Do Smart Thermostats Save Energy?

Yes, because 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 take a little bit more effort than a smart thermostat. To put together a schedule on programmable models, we advise following these recommendations 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 home.

• • Evening: Greater than 70 degrees.

• • Sleep: Set back 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: Lower than 78 degrees.

• • Sleep: Set up at least 4 degrees.

To sum up, you don’t have to get a smart thermostat to save on your energy bill. All you need is a programmable thermostat, but it’s important to know 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, says 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 your community. Your possible 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 between. If you’re noticing 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 asleep. Smart thermostats make this simple through their hands-off process that gradually shifts the temperature. If you’re at home a lot, it might not save you money on energy costs as is the point in an automated, energy-efficient schedule.

How to Get a Smart Thermostat Rebate

Many utility companies give rebates to homeowners who purchase energy-saving, ENERGY STAR-certified equipment like a smart thermostat. The rebate total 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.

Depend On 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 considering getting one and want to know if they work as promised, we offer free home comfort assessments. Call our Experts at 587-315-5271 to schedule yours now!