Sometimes, a homeowner upgrades their air conditioning and heating systems only to leave the same aging thermostat on the wall. As your technician may likely tell you, this shouldn’t have any effect on the way your heater or air conditioner operates as long as the thermostat is compatible (as it will still be calibrated and able to detect changes in temperature). However, you are missing out on the opportunity to save big time.
Whether your heating and air conditioning systems are brand new or ten years old, we recommend upgrading that wall thermostat to a smart thermostat you can control with your phone or tablet. Learn more about the benefits of smart thermostats and why you should make that upgrade in today’s guide.
#1: Convenience
Most people initially upgrade to a smart thermostat as a matter of convenience. There’s something amazing about having the ability to log into an app on your smartphone to adjust the temperature without ever leaving your couch.
Moreover, if you do decide to leave your couch and head out to vacation or just a quick day out, you can view the temperature in your home remotely and make adjustments to save energy. You can also readjust the temperature to your preferred settings ahead of time if you plan to head home early from work or if you come back from a trip a day or two early.
#2: Energy Efficiency
A smart thermostat is a pretty neat gadget to have, and we know how fun it is to show off its features to your friends. Of course, that’s not the only reason to get one. With proper usage, your smart thermostat can help you to save quite a bit of money, thanks to its ability to keep the home at an efficient temperature whether you are there or not.
All programmable thermostats give you the ability to schedule a setting ahead of time. However, there’s a level of human error involved: schedules can easily change and you may get too busy wrangling the kids out the door to remember to change the settings. With a smart thermostat, you can always make changes later in the day, which keeps you from wasting energy accidentally keeping the AC or heater on all day.
#3: Tracking Your Usage
Better yet, most modern smart thermostats allow you to track your energy usage over the month and find out at what times of day you’re using the most energy. Based on the data in the app on your smartphone, you can start to make better informed decisions about which temperatures are the most efficient choices for your family at certain times of the day.
#4: Better Automation
Yes, a standard programmable thermostat does allow you to program the settings on your thermostat ahead of time, so that no energy is wasted according to your schedule. But can it automatically learn your schedule within a week?
The automation involved with most smart thermostats is simply unbeatable. And your schedule is not locked in for good; it’s easy to make changes and keep the thermostat learning about your schedule, habits, and energy preferences.
Mack Morris Heating & Air Conditioning offers air conditioning and heating services in Charlottesville, VA. Contact our friendly team today!