Over the past several years, smart technology has helped us do everything from track our personal workouts to vacuum our living rooms without a lot of effort. With all these possibilities, it is only fitting for smart technology to help us make our home comfort systems more efficient. If you’re in the market for a way to reduce your energy bills and have more control over your comfort at home, smart thermostats are a great place to start.
Smart thermostats run much like a programmable thermostat. Standard programmable models allow you to adjust temperatures to use less energy when you’ll be away or asleep. Most of these thermostats let you set schedules for each day of the week, divide it between weekday and weekend programming or make everyday the same. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can save up to 10 percent on your annual heating and cooling bill by installing a programmable thermostat.
Smart thermostats provide you even more control over your heating and cooling system. Using your smart phone and a compatible app, you can change your home’s temperature wirelessly, no matter where you are located. That means you can adjust it if anything unexpected happens—whether you’re out of town longer than you thought or the temps take a sudden turn. That control, plus the energy usage reports your smart model makes, can help you make your home even more energy efficient.
There are smart thermostats with even additional features. Depending on what you would like your thermostat to be able to do, there are some different options:
- Should it keep the temperature in your home as close as possible to your preferred setting? iComfort® systems hold the temperature in your house within a half degree of what you set the thermostat to.
- Should it spot your location to intuitively adjust temperatures when you are gone? iComfort’s Smart Away™ mode detects your location using your phone and adjusts the temperature when you leave. When you’re driving home, the system adjusts again to make sure you’re comfortable when you get home.
- Should your device take the weather conditions into consideration? The iComfort Feels Like™ feature takes weather conditions like temperature and humidity into account while managing the comfort level in your home. That way, 72 degrees always feels like 72 degrees—no matter what the weather throws at you.
- Should it work with your other smart devices? Some smart thermostats align with Amazon Alexa and Apple Homekit. With voice commands, you can adjust your settings without leaving the couch.
Ready to find a smart thermostat model that makes your life easier? The team at H&C Heating and Cooling can help you get started. You can reach us us at 301-960-3247 to an appointment with us. We can answer any questions you have and show you the options for your home comfort system.