For several years, homeowners were told that using a programmable thermostat was the gold standard for cutting your home’s heating and cooling bills. Recently, advanced technology has brought the smart thermostat to the market, and many say this tool is a great improvement over programmable models. In our most recent blog, the heating and air conditioning experts at Douglas Cooling & Heating discuss the benefits of smart thermostats and whether they save Birmingham residents money.
Smart Thermostat Basics
Smart thermostats allow homeowners to connect their heating and cooling systems with their home automation equipment. Smart thermostats connect to the home’s Wi-Fi and can be controlled by using other connected devices like your cell phone, tablet, or smart home speaker for voice control.
The smart thermostats on the market today offer a range of high-tech features. Most use integrated sensors and also connect to external sensors to read humidity levels, outdoor temperatures, and more.
The information collected allows the thermostat to provide guidance regarding efficient temperature settings for your home. They also allow you to program temperature adjustments just like a programmable thermostat, but some models take a step above with learning capabilities – the thermostat will learn your temperature preferences and perform automatic temperature adjustments to create a comfortable home environment around the clock.
Do Smart Thermostats Save You Money?
All the high-tech features are attractive, but do smart thermostats actually save homeowners money on their energy bill? Let’s take a closer look.
- Smart thermostats save money by only heating and cooling your home as needed. While programming schedules into a programmable thermostat can cut down on energy waste, there’s no way to make adjustments if you’ll be coming home later than usual one day. Smart thermostats use geofencing technology to see your location via your smartphone to intuitively adjust the temperature to provide a comfortable home exactly when you arrive. This connectivity allows the thermostat to limit any energy usage that could occur when your personal schedules are disrupted.
- The use of occupancy sensors further limits heating and cooling an empty home. A programmable thermostat won’t realize when you’ve stepped out and will continue to run the HVAC system as if you’re there. A smart thermostat uses these sensors and your cell phone location to see you’re not at home and set back temperatures to conserve energy.
- Many smart thermostats monitor your HVAC system for spikes in energy consumption, which could indicate the need for repairs or maintenance. The thermostat also sends you alerts via your connected device so you know to resolve the issue right away. Running an HVAC system with performance issues leads to excess energy consumption and higher utility costs.
- Many smart thermostats collect data regarding your home energy consumption, which can be accessed through the device’s mobile app. You can evaluate this data and use it as a guide for planning further energy-efficiency improvements around the house or to make adjustments to your routines that will generate additional savings.
Added Bonuses of Switching to a Smart Thermostat
Do smart thermostats save money? Yes, but that’s not the only great thing about them! In addition to energy-saving features, some other great perks of using one include:
- Stylish design
- Digital full-color and customizable displays
- Weather forecasts and other information displayed on the thermostat for your convenience
- Control it from anywhere using your phone or voice control – you don’t even have to leave your seat
- Extremely easy to use, which means you’re more likely to use it
Choose Douglas Cooling & Heating for Smart Thermostat Installation
Are you ready to install a new smart thermostat in your Birmingham area home? Getting a smart thermostat is a great way to cut energy costs. Work with the pros at Douglas Cooling & Heating to find the smart thermostat model that offers the features you want while fitting your budget. Contact us today to learn more about this great energy-saving technology.
