When the weather starts getting a bit more intense, we rely on our home heating and cooling system to see us through the uncomfortable periods of intense heat and cold. Besides helping us regulate our home’s temperature from the inside, using an automated thermostat to conserve energy from an air conditioner or heating use can be a great way to see big savings. If you already have a programmable home thermostat, you might not instantly see the point in swapping out your perfectly adaptable model for a brand new, state-of-the-art automatic option might seem counter-intuitive. If you already have great pre-programmed heating and air conditioning service, what’s the point of spending more money on a fancier thermostat? As it turns out, you can get a ton out of your automatic model if you know how to use it to save energy and run your house more efficiently. If you’re thinking about buying a new automatic thermostat, here’s what you should know.
Automatic Models “Learn” From Your Behavior
While technically all thermostats can be programmed, only automated or “smart” thermostats can collect information about your in-home patterns and behavior to create a heating and cooling schedule that works for you. While it might seem simple enough to put in the time to pre-program your thermostat for the entire day or turn down the heat a few degrees each night, your smart thermostat will do you one better by automatically adjusting itself throughout the day, giving you access to automated savings through the year. Let’s say you forget to adjust the heat one night and leave it on high, or you forget to turn off the air conditioning before you head out to work. It might not seem like a big deal, but small oversights like this can really add up over time. Your smart thermostat will never miss a day, and it will be able to automatically use information about your schedule to create an energy-conserving plan for your household without your having to enter in any information or pre-program your machine.
They Can Be Controlled Remotely
One of the big perks of having an automated thermostat system is that you can control it on the go, from wherever you are. Using your connected app, you can set your thermostat to turn on the AC so that your home will be cool when you arrive home from work. You can leave a friend or guest in the house and use your app to shut off the heating and cooling system after they’ve left. If you left the house and forgot to change the thermostat, it’s no longer a big deal. If you have Airbnb guests or tenants, you can respond to requests from far away and with the touch of a button. Not only to automated thermostats take the guesswork out of heating and cooling, they make the process of creating a temperature-controlled environment in your home totally seamless.
They Can Mean Big Savings
Most homeowners don’t think about the amount of money they could be saving on heating and cooling bills each year by making only a few simple changes. Even turning down the air or turning off the heating during periods of inactivity or at night can result in savings that add up in time. Recent consumer reports show that the average household with a smart thermostat installed saves around $180 per year on temperature control bills. If you take into account the starting cost of most models, this means that the device pays for itself within the first year, and every subsequent year represents nearly $200 in savings. That’s not bad for a one-time investment.
You Can Install Them Manually to Save Even More
If you want to cut costs down even more, you can use a variety of YouTube tutorials to figure out how to install your own smart thermostat. While installation itself usually costs upwards of $100, getting an easy-install model can help you knock even more off the initial cost of your investment. Many newer models come with an easy installation guide that walks you through everything. Even if you’re technologically averse, you’ll be able to figure it out in less than half an hour in most cases. Once your device is all set, you’ll be able to instantly access it from your phone app wherever you are, ensuring that whatever issues come up will be handled immediately whether you’re at home or across the country. For that kind of control and peace of mind, it’s worth the initial investment.