Archives: June 18, 2014

The benefit of having a Smart thermostat

Summer is just around the corner and with the hot and humid days also comes a big spike in electricity bills. According to the Environmental Protection Agency about 5 percent of all of the electricity used in the United States is used by Air Conditioners. This costs around $11 billion in accumulated expenses.

Smart homeowners are able to cut their electricity bill by about $180 each year by properly programming a digital thermostat. There are companies that make “smart thermostats” and they claim that using these thermostats will save even more money each year. The question becomes, can these smart thermostats really save you money each year in energy expenses?

A typical programmable thermostat allows you to set a predetermined schedule of heating and cooling. It was turn the air conditioner on in the morning a half hour before you wake up and then shut off when you leave for work. These thermostats work well, but it does take time to program them, and many people don’t even bother. They end up just adjusting the temperature manually.

The newer and more advanced smart thermostats offer additional features. Many of them will allow you to adjust the temperature from a smart phone or computer. This can be helpful in you are away on vacation and want to make sure you aren’t using extra energy while you are away. Some of them are even able to detect when you are home and when you aren’t. This allows them to basically program themselves to make sure that you are only cooling the home when someone is actually there.

Will a Smart Thermostat Save You Money?

The big questions that many homeowners have is if these smart thermostats will actually save them money. These thermostats can be a bit pricey so it is best to start by taking a look at your daily routine. Do you often leave the air conditioner running all day even when you are away? Do you manually adjust the temperature throughout the day?

If you are already using a programmable thermostat that has been properly setup you many not experience a drastic savings. However, if you are leaving the AC on or adjusting it manually your savings will most likely be significant.

The best way to save on energy costs is simply to not let your air conditioner run when no one is home. If you are not doing this effectively then a smart thermostat may very well save you a lot of money in the long run.