Should I Get A Smart Thermostat?

As smart home technology advances, smart thermostats are becoming more and more common in the average household. If you have a classic thermostat and are wondering whether to make the switch, keep reading!

What do smart thermostats do?

Regular thermostats work by running the AC or heater to keep the house at a specific manually programmed temperature. This temperature is entered through a thermostat usually found on a wall in the home and can only be changed from there. Smart thermostats, however, can be changed from anywhere. Smart thermostats can be controlled through the thermostat or through an app on your phone. They can also learn your heating and cooling preferences, detect when people are active in your house, and track your energy usage. Just like with regular thermostats, you can set a smart thermostat to a schedule, but if you don’t want to go through the hassle of scheduling, the smart thermostat will learn your behaviors and create a schedule for you. 

What are the benefits of a smart thermostat?

Being able to control your thermostat from an app means that you can access it anywhere, anytime. On vacation and realized you forgot to turn off your AC schedule? Open up the app and shut down the system. On your way home from work and you want to return to a warm house? Turn the heater on before you leave and arrive at a toasty home. 

Smart thermostats can also learn your temperature habits by looking at how you set the temperature and at which times. As it learns, it starts predicting and changing by itself so that you no longer have to manually control the climate. Many smart thermostats can also track movement, detecting when people are in the house. If your family leaves for work and school, it detects no movement and turns off the system to conserve energy. When it sees movement, it recognizes that people are home, and can turn the system back on. 

Most smart thermostats track your energy usage and find new ways to conserve energy. You can examine the data and see exactly how much energy you are saving with a smart  thermostat.

How can I save money with a smart thermostat?

If you are already conservative about your energy usage and limit your heating and AC usage, you may not see a change in your energy conservation or heating and cooling bill. However, if your heating and cooling bills are expensive because your energy usage is high, a smart thermostat could save you money.

Smart thermostats can recognize when you’re not at home or don’t need heating/cooling and shut down the system on its own, saving you energy and money. Some city governments offer rebates on smart thermostats, and some energy companies offer discounts to make it a more affordable option to the average consumer. Although smart thermostats can be pricey upfront, it can end up saving money in the long run by reducing heating and cooling bills.

Is a smart thermostat worth it?

Whether a smart thermostat is worth it really depends on your habits. If you’re not technologically savvy or are satisfied with your current thermostat, you may not benefit from a smart thermostat. However, if you live a busy life and can forget to shut off your AC, you’d greatly benefit from a smart thermostat that can do this for you. If you’re still unsure, consider a few of the pros and cons:

Pros:

  • Can be accessed by app anywhere and anytime
  • Learns from your habits and creates customized schedule
  • Saves energy and can save money
  • Offer a variety of advanced climate control options
  • Provides energy usage reports
  • Can track the weather
  • Makes heating and cooling convenient, hands-off, and easy

Cons:

  • Pricier than normal thermostats
  • Requires a constant WiFi connection
  • Can be tough to navigate if you’re not used to technology

For a lot of people the pros outweigh the cons, and smart thermostats are worth the price. If you still need help deciding, you can consult with friends who have smart thermostats, your energy provider, or even an HVAC technician. If you’re looking to get a smart thermostat installed in the Sacramento area, be sure to call Express Refrigeration today!