More and more homeowners are looking for ways to turn their average house into a “smart home.” There are many products you can purchase that allow you to control your lighting, home security, and various appliances with a voice command or tap of your phone screen.
There are even products that let you control your heating and cooling systems from your mobile devices — and they’re known as smart thermostats.
Now, you might be wondering, are these devices worth it in the long run? Do smart thermostats really help you save money on energy bills?
The short answer to this question is yes. A smart thermostat can save money for homeowners with the various features they include. We’ll discuss how you can reap energy savings with one of these devices in more detail below.
What Is a Smart Thermostat?
Before we can go over how a smart thermostat can save money, it’s important to know how these devices work and the attributes they can include. All-in-all, smart thermostats work by learning your temperature preferences and schedule. As you know, this makes them incredibly different from traditional thermostats that you have to adjust manually.
Smart thermostats feature many unique and notable elements. Learn more about some of the top features these devices can include:
Easy Scheduling Can Help You Waste Less Energy
If you have a manual thermostat, you know that you have to physically walk up to the device and adjust it to meet your desired temperature. Although this isn’t a difficult task, it can be easy to forget about your thermostat when you’re in a rush. As a result, you can end up wasting precious energy, blasting your air conditioning system when your family is out for dinner, or worse — gone for the entire day.
On the other hand, you can create a schedule with your smart thermostat that matches your comfort needs and turn off your heater or AC when you aren’t home. This is a feature that programmable thermostats boast as well.
When it comes down to it, smart thermostats really do save money for homeowners because they allow them to create a schedule that perfectly fits their heating and cooling needs.
WiFi & App Connectivity
Although there are many benefits to creating a schedule with a smart thermostat, there may be times when you need to adjust your thermostat settings at the last minute. For example, you might find yourself returning home from work early and in desperate need of heating on a freezing cold day. Fortunately, smart thermostats include WiFi connectivity and can be controlled through an easy-to-use app.
Since you can adjust your thermostat from anywhere via an app on your smartphone, tablet, or smartwatch, it’s easy to see how this can save energy and money. If members of your household were home all day and suddenly decided to run errands, you could lower or raise your thermostat’s setting for maximum energy savings.
Learning Features Are Designed for Energy Savings
Although a smart thermostat can save money for homeowners with its easy-to-use apps and scheduling abilities, it’s important to recognize that certain models can do even more than this.
In fact, some of these devices (like the Google Nest Learning Thermostat) can learn your heating or cooling needs over time. When a smart thermostat learns your household’s behaviors, it can adjust your temperature settings in a way that enhances your comfort while lowering your energy costs.
So yes, smart thermostats do really save money. However, it’s important to remember that not every thermostat is created equal. Many of the devices with learning capabilities come with higher upfront costs, but usually, these costs are worth it in the long run because of the energy savings they provide.
Is a Smart Thermostat Worth It?
As you can see from the discussion above, it’s no secret that a smart thermostat can save money, energy, and time for people from all walks of life. No matter your schedule, HVAC system, or energy efficiency needs, there are many ways you can benefit from upgrading your thermostat.
There are many smart thermostats to choose from, each and every one of them boasting different advantages. For starters, you might want to consider a smart thermostat that is Energy Star certified if you’re looking to reap the most savings on your utility bills. If you want a device that will learn your heating and cooling needs, consider a thermostat with smart learning capabilities.
However, it’s important to mention that there are many other ways to save money on your heating and cooling bills. For example, your outdated furnace or air conditioner could be wasting energy as it tries (and struggles) to meet your comfort needs. Many HVAC companies in DC will suggest replacing your heating and cooling systems if they’re old, underperforming, and increasing your energy bills.
Enhance Your Comfort With a Smart Thermostat Installation
Do smart thermostats really save money? This question only has one answer: yes! Although these devices are incredibly helpful, easy to use, and will save you money on your energy bills, it’s important to know that they can also help you achieve new levels of comfort.
If you’re ready to save with a smart thermostat, turn to Magnolia Plumbing, Heating & Cooling. Our team of experts will help you find a solution that is compatible with your HVAC system and meets all of your needs. We’re proud to serve homeowners in Washington, DC, and the surrounding areas.
Contact us to install a smart thermostat in DC today!
