Smart thermostats are becoming more and more popular in homes and businesses. In the heart of Arizona where temperatures vary from cold winter nights to scorching summer days, it’s much more convenient to have direct access and control of your thermostat throughout the changing seasons.
What exactly is a smart thermostat? A smart thermostat is an automated system that can be used to change the temperature of your indoor environment. They use Wi-Fi connectivity so that the user can control the settings from their laptop or phone. This will help you save money and energy by being able to change the settings at any time, whether you are home or away. We’ve put together a list of 10 reasons why having a smart thermostat is extremely beneficial and the way of the future.
1. Minimizing Energy Costs
This is probably the most obvious reason to get a smart thermostat. It’s no secret how expensive heating and cooling a home or business can be, especially when you live somewhere where the temperature fluctuates a lot. With a smart thermostat, you can schedule when your HVAC turns on and off throughout the day, even if you’re not home. Being able to turn the AC off during the hours you will be away and then turning it on again an hour before you get home will forever change the way you cool your home! If you live here in Paradise Valley, you know just how useful that will be! The Nest brand of smart thermostats claims you will save up to 15% on cooling costs, and around 12% on heating costs!
2. The Ability to Adjust the Thermostat from Anywhere
A smart thermostat isn’t called “smart” for no reason. They are considered to be smart because of their Wi-Fi connection. Depending on the brand, your thermostat will have an app where you can create a home or business profile and start tracking the energy usage through your phone. You can do this whether you are away on vacation, a few miles away at work, or even if you’re just feeling a little lazy and don’t want to get out of bed!
3. Tracking Your Energy Usage
Here is something we all might be interested in. Just how much energy does your home or business use each month? You might have no idea at the moment, but it’s a good thing to learn! A smart thermostat will track the energy you use, and you will be able to compare different months. It will also give you tips and tricks for improving your usage time.
4. Weather Mode
Most smart thermostats will have something along the lines of “weather mode.” Your thermostat can track the weather in your area and automatically adjust the temperature accordingly. A great feature to have, especially if you travel a lot or spend a lot of time outside the home or business.
5. The Ability to Schedule a Temperature Change
We touched on this idea earlier but yes, you can schedule temperature changes as much as you’d like with a smart thermostat. Turning the unit off when you’re not home and back on before you get back will save both energy and money in the long run.
6. Simple Installation
Contrary to popular belief, smart thermostats are rather simple to install. According to ahs.com, “All you will need to do is cut the power to your thermostat, remove the old thermostat, connect the wires to your new thermostat, install the new thermostat faceplate, restore power, and follow programming instructions as prompted and as described in your manufacturer’s instructions”. Once installed, you will just need to check your Wi-Fi connectivity and follow the instructions for your specific thermostat on how to set up an account via their app before you are good to go!
7. Keeps Maintenance in Check
It’s no secret that an HVAC system can be somewhat costly. It’s in the home or business owner’s best interest to keep their HVAC system in check. However, it’s also very easy to forget about the state of your HVAC system when caught up in day-to-day life. Smart thermostats will notify you when your system needs maintenance or if something is wrong. It can also detect if your system is using more energy than normal, which could be a sign of an HVAC system malfunction.
8. Better Tracking and Visibility Controls
Depending on the system, you will have the opportunity to choose a thermostat with almost all TV-screen-like controls. No more wiggling the sensor to get the temperature just right, or squinting in the dark in the middle of the night. These new controls will clearly show your designated temperature along with all of the other controls.
9. Voice Commands
Most smart thermostats use the voice command system. While near your system, you won’t even need to get up or log into the app to change the temperature. You will simply be able to speak the command and the system will comply. Very convenient!
10. Built-In Learning Capabilities
Smart thermostats can detect when people are home. It can therefore change the temperature accordingly. They also have technology that can also attune to seasonal changes and automatically adjust the temperature daily.
All in all, smart thermostats are relatively inexpensive to install and use and will save tons of energy and money in the long run. They are becoming the normal way of tracking the temperature of your home or business because of how simple and efficient they are. If you have any questions on the installation process or if the change to a smart thermostat is for you, please do not hesitate to call us at (480) 428-0600.