More and more, smart thermostats are becoming a staple item in many homes. It seems like every day there’s a new model coming out or a new brand jumping into the market. But all this is happening for a reason: smart thermostats are incredibly helpful tools that have more than transcended the traditional thermostat. Here are seven reasons smart thermostat installation is a must for your home:
Reduce Energy Bills
Smart thermostats offer all of the features of a programmable thermostat and more, and they can all save you money over time by reducing your energy bills. By following the energy-saving tips in your smart thermostat’s manual and utilizing the myriad of features it comes with — many of which are listed below — you can see significant savings on your utility bills. While it varies from brand to brand, you can save 10-15% on both cooling and heating for combined savings of about 23%!
Remote Control From Anywhere
One of the most convenient features of a smart thermostat, also called a WiFi thermostat, is that you can control it through an app on your smartphone. Since we take our phones everywhere, this means you can control your thermostat from anywhere, too. This can come in handy in quite a few situations, whether you left for vacation and forgot to turn the AC off or simply don’t want to leave the couch to adjust the thermostat!
Increased Scheduling Capabilities
Most programmable thermostats allow you to schedule different temperature settings for every day of the week and several times throughout the day at most, but smart thermostats offer virtually limitless programming options. This way you can perfectly tailor your heating and cooling settings to your schedule from week to week if you want to, which saves money by reducing the load on your HVAC system.
Intuitive Programming
Although you can manually program your schedule into your thermostat, you probably won’t need to. This is because smart thermostats are equipped with movement sensors that detect when people are moving and active in your home and adjust the temperature accordingly. For example, if there’s no movement for a period of time during the day, the sensors let the thermostat know that it can switch to your “away” settings.
Even better, some smart thermostats can learn your schedule and preferences based on how you manually adjust the settings and program themselves so you no longer have to do so. For example, if you turn your thermostat down every day when you get home from work, the smart thermostat will automatically adjust the temperature around the time you get home every day. Now that’s smart!
Optimized User Interface
While every smart thermostat varies in design, they’re all easy to use. Whether you’re on your phone or the thermostat itself, the interface is simple, visible and easy to use. Most smart thermostat interfaces are so easy to navigate that you’ll feel like a tech wiz when you use them!
Track Your Energy Use
Most people are familiar with the scheduling and control flexibility of smart thermostats, but few people are aware that smart thermostats actually monitor your HVAC system by tracking its energy use. All of the data is compiled into a report that allows you to see your energy savings as they happen and modify the settings as needed. These easy-to-read reports are also incredibly useful because they’ll show you problems with your AC before you would ever notice them on your own. If the system’s energy use increases significantly all of the sudden, there’s a good chance it needs repairs.
Smart Home Compatibility
If smart thermostats weren’t already convenient enough, having one that’s compatible with your other smart home devices can make them even easier to use. Many homes now have smart speakers and smart hubs in them, too, which means homeowners can connect their speakers to their thermostats for voice control of their HVAC systems. If you have a Google Nest thermostat and speaker, for example, you can say, “Hey Google, change the thermostat to 75 degrees.”
Weather Tracking
One of the newer features in the smart thermostat industry is weather tracking, where the thermostat — since it’s connected to the internet — monitors the weather outside to make adjustments for comfort and efficiency. If a cool front is blowing in, the thermostat will know and can turn the heater on if needed.
If you’re ready for a thermostat replacement, a smart thermostat is the best option for your home. At Big Mountain Heating & Air Conditioning, we specialize in smart thermostat installation for our customers to make the transition to smart technology easy.
Contact us today for more information or to begin a service request!