6 Awesome Benefits of a Smart Thermostat
Originally published in September 2017, updated March 2020.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), heating and cooling accounts for around 48 percent of a home’s energy costs, making it the largest energy expense in Crawfordville, Florida, homes. With such a huge portion of money spent on heating and cooling, it’s important for homeowners to reduce energy consumption any way they can. A smart thermostat does just that. With remarkable technology and many energy-saving features, a smart thermostat provides tons of benefits that save money, cut energy usage, and keep you comfortable all year long.
Learning Your Preferences
A smart thermostat is a foolproof way to keep your home’s temperature just how you like it. When you install a smart thermostat it learns all of your preferences and habits. This has a two-pronged effect. The first aspect is that it can turn the temperature down when you’re away at work, and when you return, it will have already set it to the proper temperature. This helps reduce your energy bills .
Changing the Temperature From Anywhere
Another benefit of a smart thermostat is that most come equipped with Wi-Fi capabilities. By installing an app on your phone, you can adjust your HVAC system from anywhere in the world provided you have an internet connection. This is especially handy if you go on vacation and the weather at home changes, or if you make the mistake of forgetting to turn down the air conditioning when you head out-of-town for a weekend.
Programming With Ease
Another wonderful advantage of a smart thermostat is its ease of use. Thanks to an easy-to-understand interface and smartphone apps, you can program your smart thermostat with ease if you want to make a change from its learned behavior. While older programmable thermostats are confusing in many ways, a smart thermostat helps you make changes easily and conveniently.
Maintenance Reminders
To keep your HVAC system running smoothly and avoid invalidating the warranty, you need to have routine maintenance inspections, also known as a tuneup. Both the air conditioning and furnace need this on a yearly basis, meaning you need our tuneup services at least twice a year. However, it’s easy to forget about getting a tuneup, especially when you have a busy schedule. That’s where your smart thermostat lends a helping hand. Many smart thermostats send you an alert when it’s time to schedule a tuneup.
Tracking Your Energy Usage
If you have an outdated programmable thermostat or an older analog thermostat, you aren’t quite sure how much energy you’re using until the monthly bill shows up in the mail. While this may not directly support poor energy usage habits, it certainly doesn’t help the situation.
A smart thermostat helps alleviate this situation by tracking all of your energy usage. Each month, some smart thermostats can provide you with a report that shows your usage. Some also compare your usage to other users, showing where you rank among similar households. With this, you can make the necessary adjustments to your energy habits and encourage your family members to do the same.
Alternate Settings
While most programmable thermostats allow you to add just one setting, a smart thermostat gives you the opportunity to have multiple settings. If you’re having someone sensitive to temperature as a guest, such as a grandparent or other relative, all you have to do is make the changes and save it. You can then access this setting whenever they come over. This also works for weekend getaways, holidays, and any other situation where you need to change the temperature for a short time.
A smart thermostat isn’t the only solution to improving energy usage and lowering your monthly bills, but it certainly makes it easier. If you’ve decided to schedule the installation of a smart thermostat, it’s time to call Advanced Air Care Heating and Cooling for to schedule your installation. Contact us today.
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