A few years ago, it was very hard to sell a Smart thermostat to any homeowner. How do you convince someone to spend over $300 on something that is just working fine? Fast tracking a few years later, Smart thermostats have proven beyond any doubt that they are worth the high price tags.
The popularity of Smart thermostats can’t be explained any better by the huge market that is expected to hit the $6bn mark by 2020. But a lot of people are still asking, is a Smart thermostat a worthy investment? Can it increase the value of your home?
Today, we want to talk about 5 reasons why a Smart thermostat is still something you should think of investing in.
Connect with your Smart home automation
Smart homes are increasingly becoming popular. Every homeowner wants to upgrade to the latest Smart home technologies and thermostats happen to be among the best Smart home technologies so far.
The HVAC is an integrated appliance of any household or building. If you are thinking of home automation, it is the first thing that you should automate. In that regard, your regular thermostat won’t be of any use because it is not Smart home compatible; that’s where Smart thermostats come in.
Smart thermostats have been designed to work with several automation devices like Wink2, Vera, and SmartThings. They come with Wi-Fi connectivity which allows them to communicate with these automation hubs and also the Smartphone as well as other remote access protocols like Web Apps and 3rd party integrations.
Cut down your HVAC energy costs
On average, the HVAC system of an average household accounts for almost 50% of the energy bills. This is because, in summer, your fan is working full time and in winter, the heater is always on. The HVAC system consumes more energy than your home entertainment.
That said, this is one area you could be saving a lot of energy by ensuring efficient consumption. That’s precisely what a Smart thermostat has been designed to do. A common problem with regular thermostats is that there are high chances of human error; you adjust the thermostat with a wide error margin, so you end up consuming more power unnecessarily. Smart thermostats are very accurate and ensure your HVAC is running at just the right settings.
But you should understand that not all Smart thermostats will save energy; only the best brands have been tried and tested. I have tested Ecobee Smart thermostats, and I can say that they save about 20% of your heating and cooling costs.
Smart thermostats are intelligent
There is a lot of helpful data that you need to manage your HVAC system efficiency, however, your regular thermostat is not intelligent enough to report the data for you to take action. But Smart thermostats are designed to do just that.
The advanced Smart thermostat models like Nest will tell you what is consuming energy, how much it is consuming, and most importantly, it will tell you areas you can improve on. By following these recommendations, you will be in a position to manage your HVAC system more efficiently and quickly.
Surprisingly, some models can adapt to your Lifestyle. An example is Nest Learning that learns how you live. It notes how you adjust your HVAC and in no time, it will have mastered the pattern and start tweaking the HVAC settings automatically.
Monitor your home remotely
Did you leave the heater on? Maybe you did put it off but then you are not sure. Enduring the entire day at the office with the anxiety of not knowing the status of your HVAC system is the worst thing ever especially if you are too forgetful like me.
Smart thermostats once again will come to your rescue by allowing you to check the status of your HVAC system regardless of where you are on this planet. All you need to is a stable internet connection at home for the thermostat and also, wherever you are for the Smartphone to connect to it. You can also receive notifications so, at all times, you will be aware of what’s going on with your HVAC system.
Remote access
Now, after noticing that you didn’t leave the HVAC at the correct settings, do you drive back? No, Smart thermostats got your back just like Smart locks do when you forget to lock the door. This is also a significant reason why you need to consider investing in a Smart Thermostat.
Depending on the model, there are a lot of things you can do to your HVAC system while miles away. Smart thermostats support remote operation meaning that if you forgot to switch off your heater, all you need to do is switch it off from your Smartphone. Another advantage is that you can always switch on the heater just a few minutes after leaving the office so that you can find the house already warm.
These are just among the few things a Smart thermostat can offer as far as remote access is concerned. But for sure, there is a whole lot of other stuff you can do remotely.
Final Words
Smart thermostats are indeed smart and substantially cut down on the energy consumption of your HVAC system. They remove human error entirely from the equation, something that often leads to the wrong inefficient thermostat settings. In as much as they may be expensive and unnecessary at the moment, a year or two later, you will have saved more than you spent on the new thermostat, that’s the catch!
Author Bio: My name is Solange Moore. I am a tech enthusiast who loves writing about the latest tech gadgets and technologies. Mine is a story of passion in technology, driven by my exploits in blogging. If you don't find me testing products and gadgets, you will find me out in the woods hunting or playing with my kids.
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