Over the past several years, smart technology has helped us do everything from track our personal workouts to vacuum our living rooms without lifting a finger. With all this potential, it is only fitting for smart technology to help us make our home comfort systems more efficient. If you’re searching for a way to lower your energy bills and gain more control over your home comfort, smart thermostats are the perfect place to start.
Smart thermostats operate much like a programmable thermostat. Standard programmable models allow you to change temperatures to use less energy when you aren’t at home. Most of these thermostats let you set schedules for individual days, divide it between weekday and weekend programming or make everyday a consistent temp. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can save up to 10 percent on your annual heating and cooling bill by using a programmable thermostat.
Smart thermostats allow you even more control over your home’s comfort system. Using your smart phone and a compatible app, you can adjust your home’s temperature wirelessly, regardless of where you are. That means you can adjust it if anything unforeseen happens—whether you’re away from home longer than you thought or there is a change in the weather. That control, along with the energy usage reports your smart model makes, can help you improve your home’s efficiency.
If you are looking for additional benefits, there are smart thermostats that are even more advanced. Depending on what you would like your thermostat to be able to do, there are a few options:
- Should it hold the temperature in your home as close as possible to your desired setting? iComfort® systems hold the temperature in your space within a half degree of what you set the thermostat to.
- Should it spot your location to instinctively adjust temperatures when you’re away? iComfort’s Smart Away™ mode knows your location using your phone and adjusts the temperature when you leave. When you’re heading home, the system adjusts again to make sure you’re comfortable when you enter the home.
- Should your device take the weather conditions into consideration? The iComfort Feels Like™ feature takes weather conditions like temperature and humidity into account while managing the comfort level in your home. That way, 72 degrees always feels like 72 degrees—no matter what the weather throws at you.
- Should it operate with your other smart devices? Some smart thermostats work with Amazon Alexa and Apple Homekit. With voice commands, you can adjust your settings without moving from your spot.
Ready to find a smart thermostat model that matches your home and lifestyle? The team at Patterson & Stirling Inc can help you get started. You can reach us us at 814-308-0416 to an appointment with us. We can answer any questions you have and walk you through the options for your home comfort system.