What Are The Benefits of a Smart Thermostat?

It’s a joke that’s seen in many sitcoms on American TV. Someone touches the thermostat, and everyone either starts to sweat uncontrollably or they become unbearably cold, usually while the person who changed the temperature is making sure that their temperature alteration isn’t discovered.

This is something that most people can relate to, as having a comfortable temperature in the home is crucial for work, sleep, and for everyone to feel relaxed. Of course, when it comes to setting temperatures on a device that can’t be tampered with as easily as a standard thermostat, the best option is a smart thermostat.

What’s A Smart Thermostat?

Think of a regular thermostat, but smart!

Yes, even thermostats are now being made over to be smart, with many brands coming out with a thermostat that automatically upgrades, can be linked to your smartphone, and can control the temperature in your home when you’re not there, thus saving you money. Great!

Of course, you may be puzzled why it’s worth investing in a smart thermostat if you rent your property. Well, this article seeks to set down five core benefits, so read on to learn more!

Energy Efficient

Starting at the top, a smart thermostat is designed to save you money and energy.

They are designed to learn when energy is most likely to be used and then to turn on the heating (or turn it off) based on preferences and occupancy patterns. In short, these devices will turn on when you’re home and stay off when you’re not.

Of course, if you share your home with a furry, four-legged friend or have a baby in the house, during those colder months, you may want to keep your house warm, even if there are only a few people home. A smart thermostat can do this and can be programed for when your newborn is awake and asleep or for when your dogs return from their walk with your dog walker, all while you’re at work! This will save energy which, in turn, will save you money on your energy bills.

Monitoring

Suppose you have just gotten your smart thermostat installed and figure it’s ok to have it on during those colder spells. As the software connects to your phone, you then have the ability to monitor your home when you’re not there, to see how much energy is being used.

If you’re on a tight budget, this can help you to plan your energy usage and will save you money in the long run. It will also help you to plan your energy usage around colder periods with more accuracy, allowing everyone in your home to stay comfy and cozy without it costing the earth.

They Can Learn

If you have a schedule in your home (which most people do), a smart thermostat has the ability to learn what it is and to operate independently of you or your smartphone commands.

For instance, say you have children that come home at 3.30, and it’s the middle of winter, and they’ll be feeling cold. Based on inputs and the learning algorithms that smart thermostats come with, the heating can be turned on to full power at 3.20, and reduced gradually at 3.35, so they’ll walk into a warm home and feel comfortable.

Integration With Smart Devices

Of course, a smart thermostat is going to be capable of being used alongside other smart devices, such as Google Home or Alexa. This means that you’ll be able to operate it with voice commands as soon as you walk in the door. It also means that you can use it via Siri on a smartphone and you can ask the AI assistant to turn the heating on when you’re on your way home. Smart thermostats can also be synced with smart lights so that when the smart lights come on when you get home, the smart thermostat turns on too!

Energy Usage Reporting

Most people have patterns of consuming energy which, if you have a large family, you may not currently be aware of. A smart thermostat will allow you to view your energy usage over a day, a week, or a month, so you can identify areas for improvement. This could be something as simple as not heating the guest room if there’s no one staying in there or lowering the temperature in the kitchen or bathroom. This isn’t possible to do with regular thermostats and, once again, it can help you to save money.