No matter where in your home, there’s a “smart” device to help you save time and effort. Kitchen appliances like microwaves and fridges can be controlled from your phone. Smart TVs have allowed us to replace traditional remotes with phones. There are even smart toothbrushes that track how long and how well you brush your teeth.
It makes sense then, that smart thermostats have become ubiquitous across homes and businesses across the country. Being able to control your home’s temperature, no matter where you are, is an extremely convenient feature to upgrade your HVAC system. But are they really worth it? We’ll examine the types of smart thermostats and why you might want to consider installing one in your home.
- What are the potential cost savings from installing a smart thermostat?
- Every smart thermostat is different, but independent studies performed by Nest found substantial savings from before and after smart thermostat installation.
“On average, the Nest Learning Thermostat saved 10% to 12% on heating and 15% on cooling. Based on typical energy costs, we’ve estimated average savings of $131 to $145 a year.”
— Nest Learning Thermostat: Energy Bill Analysis Results
- What are the most important features of smart thermostats?
- The ability to learn a household’s patterns and adjust heating and cooling according to when the home is occupied is arguably the most important feature of any smart thermostat.
- Ease of use is also crucial when it comes to smart thermostats. Most, if not all, smart thermostats now have phone apps that can sync up with the unit to ensure easy access to the system at any time. Not all apps are user-friendly, though, so it’s important to do research on which ones work best.
- What are the different types of smart thermostat?
- Learning Algorithm Thermostats
- Learning algorithm thermostats work by allowing you to program your thermostat like any programmable thermostat, but eventually they will learn your comfort patterns and adjust accordingly.
- Geofencing Thermostats
- Geofencing thermostats let you set a range between 500 feet to 7 miles away. When you leave this range, the thermostat will automatically adjust the temperature in your home to a lower temperature to conserve energy and (ideally) increase cost savings.
- Motion Sensor Thermostats
- Motion sensor thermostats can detect when you are home or when you have been gone from your home for a long period of time. Careful placement of these types of smart thermostats is important, as when the motion sensor is on, it triggers your thermostat and may assume no one is home and set itself to a lower temperature.
- Learning Algorithm Thermostats
- How do smart thermostat sensors work?
- The sensor inside of your smart thermostat detects when you are nearby and when you have been out of your home for some time. This lets the thermostat adjust the temperature in your home to save energy when it knows that no one is home and the air conditioning or heat is not needed.
- How much does it cost to install a smart thermostat?
- With the unit and installation, our trained technicians can install a new smart thermostat for around $400. This is just an estimate, so contact us today and we can help you determine the right system for your home today!