If it’s been a while since you replaced your thermostat, you might not know how much technology has improved these devices. Smart home devices are extremely common including smart speakers, home security systems, and other smart home devices that simplify your life. Smart thermostats work alongside a smartphone application to keep the temperature comfortable in your home while learning your temperature needs and making adjustments for more efficient operation of your furnace. If all of this seems confusing, the bottom line is these small devices save you money on your energy bills without sacrificing comfort.
How Does Installing A Smart Thermostat Save You Money?
If your recent utility bills made your jaw drop, you aren’t alone. When natural gas prices rise many homeowners consider the value of weatherization techniques. There are a number of steps like sealing windows, renewing weather stripping on doors, and adding insulation to attics. These steps are effective but did you know setting your thermostat back by 7-10 degrees for 8 hours per day can reduce your heating expenses by up to 10%? That’s exceptional savings and surprisingly easy to accomplish with a smart thermostat.
Rising energy bills are a primary concern for many households with nearly 34% of households sacrificing basic necessities to pay heating bills. At Star Heating & Cooling we are on a mission to change this by replacing traditional thermostats with smart devices. When you install an affordable smart thermostat with Star, you gain incredible control over your HVAC system and easily access fascinating insights into your energy use. In fact, we think you can save even more than 10% by adjusting your thermostat back around your regular work/school schedule, while your family is sleeping and every time you leave your house for a family excursion.
Smart Thermostats Reduce Energy Waste Automatically
If constantly adjusting your thermostat seems like a major hassle then you likely own a manual thermostat. Traditional thermostats are extremely wasteful devices because they require you to adjust the thermostat manually in order to save energy. What busy family has time for that?
You might own a programmable thermostat. These devices are a bit more efficient. If you have the time to learn how to program the device, they automatically adjust around regular schedules. Most busy families don’t follow a fixed schedule, though. When you forget to adjust the thermostat manually the furnace and air conditioning keep running. Energy usage rising unnecessarily is even more frustrating when you go on vacation or visit family on a long weekend.
What if you could remotely control your thermostat? When you install a smart thermostat you gain access to your furnace and air conditioning systems from the palm of your hand. You can open an app on your smartphone and see the current temperature, adjust settings, and even turn the system off anywhere you have an internet connection.
The best feature of smart thermostats is these brilliant devices learn your schedule and adjust automatically. Energy usage is quickly reduced as soon as you install a smart thermostat. If you’re still skeptical, let’s explore exactly how a smart thermostat works.
Smart Thermostat Installation
Professional technicians match a compatible smart thermostat to your heating and cooling system. The replacement process is simple because smart thermostats are mounted like traditional thermostats. Once the smart thermostat is connected to your heating and cooling system, your technician will set up a connection to your WIFI network. Like other smart devices, smart thermostats use the internet connection within your home.
Smart Thermostat Setup
Your smart thermostat can be controlled like a traditional thermostat. That is, you can manually adjust settings on the control panel. To gain access to all the cost savings benefits you will download an app to your smartphone. The application has a number of features that each save energy in progressive ways.
Programming The Smart Thermostat
The goal is to reduce energy consumption without sacrificing comfort. Every homeowner has a different idea of the most comfortable environment. Generally setting your thermostat to 68 degrees while you are awake and reducing the temperature while you are sleeping and away from your home is recommended by experts to save on energy bills. Home temperature recommendations vary depending on the season and the relative humidity within your region.
Smartphone apps are incredibly easy to set up. The most basic program is as simple as setting the preferred temperature when you are home and the low-temperature setting when you are away. Low settings should always be above 55 degrees. An effective “away” setting is 7-10 degrees from your at-home setting.
Adjusting Smart Thermostat From Your Phone
You never need to wonder if you forgot to adjust the thermostat. Simply open the app on your phone and smart thermostats can be adjusted up, down, or shut down completely. Connected thermostats communicate with your smart device at all times. This means you can adjust the smart thermostat from work, reducing use while you are away.
Geofencing And Your Learning Thermostat
You can save money even further and eliminate the need to monitor your home temperature, though. This next level of energy savings uses the geofence feature. Depending on the thermostat’s manufacturer this may be called smart scheduling or learning thermostat settings. How smart thermostats save money most effectively is by learning your patterns.
A geofence is a distance set around your home. Once you leave this geographical area with your smartphone, the smart thermostat adjusts your HVAC unit to use less energy. Busy families benefit from motion sensors on the smart thermostat. If you leave the geofence but the smart thermostat detects movement in your home the system continues to run.
This feature allows homeowners to save money while the smart thermostat does all the heavy lifting. After the initial setup of a geofence, you don’t need to make drastic adjustments. If your work schedule changes or school vacations occur, the system functions proving an ideal environment while using the least amount of energy.
Smart Thermostat Installation
The primary reason to install smart thermostats is to save energy and reduce bills. The second benefit is to reduce wear on your HVAC units. Reducing the use of furnaces and air conditioner units results in longer lifespans and a lower risk of breakdown. Smart thermostats should always be installed by a certified technician. In order for smart thermostats to work effectively, they must be compatible with your equipment. Many smart thermostats are easy to set up but a qualified, local HVAC contractor like Star Heating & Cooling takes the time to demonstrate the features including programming the target temperature and ideal schedule.
Although every household has a unique desired temperature, there are real benefits to adjusting temperature throughout the day. Considering that many families are away from the home for 6-8 hours during the midday and reducing energy use while sleeping another 8 hours each night, the potential savings offered by smart thermostats are exceptional. To learn more about the smart thermostat best suited for your home contact our team today.