Heating and cooling your home accounts for approximately half of your home’s entire energy costs. Finding ways to improve on the efficiency of heating and cooling has real dollar savings. Replacing entire systems is costly but smart thermostats can make real improvements and the upfront cost is marginal.
Most homes currently have digital programable thermostats. These thermostats allow home owners to schedule what time they get up in the morning, what time they leave the house, what time they return and what time they sleep. The thermostat then adjusts the temperature accordingly. These thermostats are great, but what we find is that most people stop using the programmable feature because daily schedules change too much.
People want and need technology that is adaptable.
SOUND THE TRUMPETS!
Here come the smart thermostats…
There are two key players in the market of smart thermostats: Ecobee and Nest. Both manufacturers have produced user-friendly models with sleek design and they contain features that will actually save you money. Features, that ensure the upfront costs are repaid.
Forget having to rely on a pre-programmed schedule. Built in motion sensors at the thermostat will determine if anyone is actually home and then heat and cool accordingly. Additional sensors are also optional and can be placed throughout the home to provide other points of reference so that temperatures remain consistent.
Smart thermostats also run off of your home’s Wi-Fi. This allows you to ‘check in’ when you are outside of your house and adjust the temperature on the fly remotely. Coming home from work early? Heading home from the cottage? Lying in bed and wished you had turned down the temperature a few degrees? No problem! The free, easy to use app on your smart phone is a game changer.
And, for those of you that travel regularly, you will absolutely love the peace of mind of emailed alerts. You do not need your neighbor to check in on the furnace while you are away. Should the heat fail, you will be promptly notified and can then contact your local heating company to assess the situation.
These thermostats are easy to use, environmentally friendly and save money.
Be smart and get one ☺
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