Benefits of a Smart Thermostat
Have you ever wondered how much power is being wasted by having your AC or heat running all day while you are at work or at school? Ever wonder what you could save if you could easily modify the temperature of your home at night when you are asleep? Ever hesitated to turn the AC down while on vacation because you don’t want to come home to a hot house?
Since heating and cooling your home can account for nearly half of your home’s energy costs, being able to better control the temperature of your home can be significant.
Kinds of Thermostats
A thermostat is a device that regulates temperature. They are used in cars, ovens and buildings, among other things. When the temperature goes above or below the prescribed temperature range, the thermostat triggers either a cooling or warming function. In the home, there are 3 main categories of thermostats:
- Non-Programmable Thermostat – These are manually controlled devices that are either analog or digital. If you want the temperature to change, you need to change it by hand.
- Programmable Thermostat – These devices can be programmed to change temperature when you go to work or go to bed. They often also have a vacation setting. You set the temperature you want through the day or week and the temperature will change automatically. Programming is done manually.
- Smart Thermostats (sometimes called Learning or Communicating Thermostats) – They can learn from your behaviors, let you control your home’s climate remotely and can even adjust based on things like humidity. They can also show you your energy consumption.
6 Benefits of a Smart Thermostat
- Reduces Human Error – As a Smart Thermostat learns your schedule and preferences, it handles the ups and downs of your home’s temperature. It won’t forget to turn down the heat or air when you are at work and it will get your home back to a comfortable temperature by the time you return home.
- Saves Energy – Of course, the main reason and benefit for a Smart Thermostat is to save energy and money. By encouraging energy-saving settings, a Smart Thermostat can help save on your energy bills (According to Consumer Reports, as much as $180 a year in savings!). You can also get energy saving tips and monthly energy reports, so you can analyze your energy usage from month to month.
- Easy to Program and Adjustable from Anywhere – If you’re coming home early from work, or took a different flight, or are still in bed, and want it a bit cooler or warmer, you can use your mobile device to communicate with the thermostat.
- Remotely Checks on Home Temperature – You can use the mobile app to check on your home while you are away. This feature may be especially useful if you have a second home and want to confirm your system is running smoothly at the desired temperature.
- Email Alerts – Some Smart Thermostats send out emails to alert you when your home’s temperature is out of your pre-determined range or if a power outage disconnects the thermostat from its network.
- Vacation Mode – Don’t want to change your regular settings for vacations? Most thermostats have a vacation mode. Of course, if plans change, you can modify these settings remotely.
Please give us a call today at (757) 930-0000 to schedule an appointment or learn more about the thermostats we offer and which type may be right for you!
