Can Installing a Smart Thermostat Save You Money?
Smart home technology is a game changer for convenience, security, and energy efficiency. Gadgets like doorbell cameras and smart speakers are becoming more popular as they evolve and improve. The same is true for one of the most useful smart devices available today: the smart thermostat.
Programmable thermostats have been around for many years, but a smart thermostat offers even more features and better functionality. With user-friendly design features, smart thermostats can help you save energy, lower heating and cooling expenses, provide useful data, and give you more control of your HVAC system when you’re away from home.
So how much can a smart thermostat really save you? While each home situation will differ, most people can expect to save about 10 to 30% annually, depending on how you set up your thermostat. Nest, by Google, is one of the more popular choices for smart thermostats. Their user surveys indicate average savings of 10% on heating and 15% on cooling. One thing to consider before deciding on which smart thermostat to purchase: make sure it’s compatible with your smart hub, if you have one.
Learning What You Like
One of the most powerful features of a smart thermostat is its ability to learn your daily routines. A smart thermostat will adjust the HVAC system for energy savings while maintaining your preferred comfort level. But in order for this feature to work effectively and deliver consistent results, you’ll have to set up the thermostat according to the instructions and follow some of the recommended guidance. However, once you set it up and it begins learning, you shouldn’t have to make many, if any adjustments.
Gradual Temperature Adjustments
Smart thermostats monitor the indoor temperature and will gradually make incremental adjustments up or down, rather than delivering a huge blast of heated or cooled air all at once. Smart thermostats are much better and more efficient at maintaining a constant temperature. More so than some of the old-school systems that would allow greater temperature swings, which is much less energy efficient. Gradual adjustments also make for a much more comfortable living environment for everyone in the house.
Track Energy Usage Over Time
Another great advantage of a smart thermostat is the data it provides. You’ll have a much better understanding of your daily and yearly energy usage when using a smart thermostat. You’ll have easy access to this data through your phone for all the data your smart thermostat is tracking. You can access heating or cooling hours by day, month, or for the year. Some systems will even provide an hour-by-hour view of how your system is functioning. You can compare data from month to month, or from t