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 worthwhile investment to research 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 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 works and why it’s worth it to invest in 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 an automated device that allows you to do it all from adjusting your heating and cooling settings for various times of day, to monitoring when people are in the house, so it isn’t needlessly consuming energy by heating or cooling an empty home. 

Many smart thermostats have learning abilities, which means they pay attention to how you change your settings and make automatic adjustments over time 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 anyplace. 

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 consist of a temperature sensor that can detect when the home is vacant, 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 out. 

A smart thermostat does tasks like adjust more for rooms that are full 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 going. 

Are Smart Thermostats Worth It? 

For some people, the answer is yes. If you do a lot of traveling or are gone for long hours during the day, it may be worth your money to invest in one of these thermostats. You could save a significant amount, 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 worry about whether your smart thermostat is on the appropriate program, or if you remembered to change the temperature setting before you went out. 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 standard programmable thermostat, but 40% of them aren’t set correctly. This means you might be missing chances to save on heating and cooling expenses. 

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 manually. 

A smart thermostat automatically adjusts and gradually changes the temperature inside your home for the biggest energy savings. If you manually change 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 take a little bit more work than a smart thermostat. To put together a schedule on programmable models, we advise following these guidelines from ENERGY STAR® to save energy. 

Suggested Temperature Settings for Your Heating System 

• Wake: Under 70 degrees. 
• Day: Set back at least 8 degrees, if no one is home. 
• Evening: Higher 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: Cooler than 78 degrees. 
• Sleep: Increase at least 4 degrees. 

As you can see, you don’t have to get a smart thermostat to decrease your energy bill. All you need is a programmable thermostat, but it’s important to know that any savings may come at the expense 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. households 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 often compares you to other residences in the area. 

Your potential savings differ based on your house, 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 seeing minimal 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 turning your thermostat up/down when you’re asleep. 

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

How to Get a Smart Thermostat Rebate 

Many utility companies offer rebates to homeowners who purchase 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 expense. To find out more, visit your utility company’s website for rebate information. 

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 installing one and want to know if they run as promised, we offer free home comfort assessments. Call our Experts at 954-736-4314 to schedule yours now!