Is a smart thermostat worth buying?
A smart thermostat, also known as a connected or communicating thermostat, allows you to create automatic and programmable temperature settings based on daily schedules, weather conditions, and heating and cooling needs. Some, but not all, Wi-Fi thermostats have this advanced functionality, too.
- Comfort: Smart thermostats keep your home at the right temperature throughout the day. Like it cooler while you’re sleeping and warmer when you wake up? No problem. Want the house to be warm when you get home from a long weekend? It’ll be cozy the moment you step in the door.
- Convenience: Smart thermostats are meant to be forgotten. Once your thermostat learns your temperature preferences, you never have to worry about fiddling with it again. As you come and go, the thermostat adjusts the temperature to keep you comfortable when you’re home without wasting energy when you’re away.
- Energy savings: A smart thermostat can save you a modest amount of money on your electric bills. According to ENERGY STAR, the average savings are about 8 percent, or $50 a year.
A smart thermostat is installed just like a regular model, and requires manual adjustments for the first week to learn your heating/cooling preferences. Once you’ve adjusted the thermostat to your comfort levels a few times a day (usually when waking, leaving the house, coming home, and going to bed), the thermostat will automatically make those adjustments going forward.
Some smart thermostats use motion sensors or geo-fencing to detect when no one is home. That feature can be handy if your schedule varies a lot, making the programming feature a bit less useful. Not everyone wants their smart thermostat to have motion sensors, though, so make sure to inspect all the features before buying a specific product.
Most smart thermostats are compatible with heat pumps, but make sure to confirm with your contractor before installing a heat pump. You can also pair a smart thermostat with an integrated controller, which automatically switches between your heat pump and your secondary heat source as needed. Some smart thermostats have built-in integrated controllers.
The advantage of a smart thermostat is its ability to learn a household’s patterns and adjust heating and cooling according to when a home is occupied or is about to be occupied. This reduces energy use when nobody is home.
Standard programmable thermostats save energy only if they are programmed correctly. Studies have shown that most residential users never program them, or they use the home function to override the programming. If you’re one of the few who are extremely diligent about monitoring and using their thermostat, you might not see huge savings from switching to a smart thermostat. But the extra benefits, such as the weekly and monthly energy reports and remote access, might make the switch right for you.
Some researchers have pointed out that smart thermostats could potentially put undue strain on the grid if lots of households set their heating and cooling systems to kick in at the same time of day. However, some utilities are already using smart thermostats to strategically lower peak demand in real-time.
