We all turn to technology when it comes to living a more comfortable lifestyle. Controlling things with the use of our phones is even considered as a “smart” way of living. Our smartphones can connect to appliances that have a “smart” feature, making it more convenient for us to do most of our chores. It goes the same as controlling the temperature of our home. Smart thermostats are in modern homes. Even old homes are slowly converting to the new manual thermostats. Since we can control the thermostat’s settings with the use of our phones, do smart thermostats save money or not?
What is a Smart Thermostat?
A smart thermostat is a digital thermostat that allows you to control your house’s temperature using your phone. Many people are slowly converting their old thermostats to smart ones because it is convenient to manage and control the room temperature. There are two different kinds of smart thermostats that you can use to install in your home. You can have the DIY smart thermostat or ready-made smart thermostat, and the difference between the two is the installation and the saving of energy.
How Does a Smart Thermostat Work?
Before knowing how do smart thermostats save money, we should first understand how thermostats work. A regular thermostat is a switch to increase or decrease the temperature of your room. Also, you will need to turn the switch and adjust the temperature manually. A common wire and a hot wire that connect from the HVAC system to the fan blower are responsible for the heating and cooling of your room. But there are also additional wires that separate the AC and heating of your home. It is to give auxiliary heat, emergency heat, and even two-stage heating or cooling. Whenever you set a specific temperature, the common wire and hot wire will heat or cool, then allow the fan to blow the air to your room.
The process is closely similar to a smart thermostat, only that you will no longer have to turn any switches to adjust the temperature manually. All of the controls are already on your phone. The smart thermostat connects to the home wifi then to your phone with the use of a corresponding application. There are wires that you also need to connect to your traditional thermostat to convert it to a “smart” one. Once everything is ready and connected, you can set the temperature and other settings with the use of your phone. What’s good about a smart thermostat is that you can customize the settings however you want. One of the great features of a smart thermostat is to have a schedule when you want a specific temperature to set. You can also connect it to voice command, have a timer, and even have a self-maintenance check.
If you are wondering that do smart thermostats save money, the answer is yes. Since it can regulate the temperature in the room automatically or according to your settings, it regulates the amount of energy it uses. Therefore, your electricity bill will be a lot cheaper compared to when you are using the traditional thermostat. Since you can customize the settings of a smart thermostat, you can add “energy-saving” mode to the controls. But this only applies if you install all the necessary equipment properly and set the right commands for the smart thermostat. The controls of the smart thermostat can reduce the extra work effort that your HVAC can do. It can help adjust the temperatures gradually rather than abruptly compared to the traditional thermostat.
Pros and Cons of a Smart Thermostat
Just like all things, there are pros and cons to a smart thermostat. Not everyone is in favor of this type of temperature control. But there are a lot of people who are slowly converting their old thermostat to a smart one. Here are the pros and cons of a smart thermostat that you may want to review.
Pros
- Energy saving
Customized controls allow the entire HVAC system to regulate the amount of energy used. - Multiple settings
The multiple settings can help give you a specific task to your thermometer that also gives you the right amount of temperature whenever you need it. - Maintenance check
The smart controls will let you know when to have your HVAC checked. - Remote controlling
You no longer have to stand just to adjust the temperature of your room consistently. As long as your phone and smart thermostat is connected, you can control the temperature wherever you are at home. - Cut down your energy bill
Smart thermostats use less energy, which means your electricity bill will be less. It only applies if you set the programs correctly to make sure to utilize the power efficiently.
Cons
- Compatability
Not all smart thermostats will work with traditional thermostats. It is because of the difference in the wiring systems that make them incompatible. - Cost
Do smart thermostats save money? When it comes to its usefulness, the answer is yes. But smart thermostats can cost a bit more than expected when you purchase them. Although there are ways for you to make a DIY smart thermostat, there will be more problems that you will be facing if you are not used to doing a DIY project. - Programming
If you are not a computer programmer, it will be a bit difficult for you to find the right codes to set the controls. You will need to do a lot of research and trial and error to make the controls the way you want them to be.
Conclusion
Finding a hack to make our lives a lot easier is a lot more convenient than exerting too much effort on a simple thing. This is why having a smart thermostat is one of the many ways to live a convenient and comfortable life. But if you are wondering how do smart thermostats save money? It is by efficiently using the electricity that it needs to provide the room temperature that is most convenient for you. Find out more about Smart Thermostats.