It’s no secret that the majority of a home’s energy expenses can be attributed to cooling and heating costs. If your home has an outdated or older HVAC system, it won’t be as efficient as it should be. If such is the case, keeping your temperature indoors comfortable throughout the year is costing you more than it should.

A thermostat might be a pretty basic thing in your home, but it can have a huge impact on your energy bill. Thanks to modern technological advancements, thermostats are better and smarter. Take a look at some of the benefits of having a smart thermostat in your home.

What is a Smart Thermostat?

A lot of us are familiar with those traditional, non-programmable thermostats. Smart thermostats go a step further – but you have to use them properly. A smart thermostat will enable you to adjust the times you turn on the air conditioning or heating, based on a pre-set schedule. You can have them store and repeat a number of daily settings, which you can override manually without affecting the rest of your settings. A lot of smart thermostats can learn your preferences and schedule, helping you save energy by adjusting the temperature automatically, based on your needs.

1. Hassle-Free, Easy-to-Use Programming 

You can trim your energy use by at least 10% each year if you set the thermostat at least 7 °F to 10 °F lower than its usual setting. Traditional thermostats are harder to program and even harder to read. On the other hand, smart thermostats normally have easy-to-understand touchscreens for hassle-free programming. A lot of models will walk you through – from setting it up to programming. In a lot of cases, smart thermostats are able to automatically identify and implement optimal temperature for your home for maximum energy efficiency. While it’s true that traditional thermostats can be manually adjusted, smart thermostats will eliminate this inconvenience by returning temperatures to normal before you return home or wake.

2. Remote Access Allows for Better Monitoring and Controlling Temperature

A smart thermostat is also a programmable thermostat, only much better and functional. You can control it with user-friendly apps. They are Wi-Fi compatible, so they can be accessed from any laptop, tablet, home computer, or a smartphone connected to your network. For example, you can check in to ensure that your air conditioning isn’t running when no one is home – even from miles away. This equates to big energy savings!

3. Energy-Tracking Capability

Your smart thermostat can give you useful information about your home’s energy consumption patterns. You can then use this info to calculate your kWh rate. This may also help you find out if you’re paying your Texas electric company more than what you have to .It lets you view details such as climate information that may influence your energy use at home, the time your HVAC system has been in operation, and personalized recommendations for boosting energy efficiency through mobile apps or online portals. Armed with an understanding as to how your energy is going, your family will find it simpler to cut back.

4. Customizable Technology

Cooling and heating your home are some of the home’s biggest energy expenses. In the past, the only options to control cooling and heating were to set your appliances on a basic timer, leaving them running indefinitely, or turning them off completely. Smart thermostats feature some cool control mechanisms such as room-specific settings and adaptable timers – giving you more control over your home’s energy consumption.

Smart Thermostats for Smart Homeowners

Smart thermostats are not only great for your utility bill – they are good for the environment too! When you think about how much you can save with a smart thermostat, and factor in its environmental impact, it’s a pretty easy decision. Not only will it provide you with an opportunity to make some cost-cutting habit changes, smart thermostats will also give you an insight into your actual energy usage.

– Texas Electricity Company, NEC Co-op Energy