In recent 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 only makes sense for smart technology to help us make our home comfort systems more efficient. If you’re looking for a way to decrease your energy bills and gain more control over your home comfort, smart thermostats are an ideal 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 constant temperature. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can save up to 10 percent on your annual heating and cooling bill by utilizing a programmable thermostat.
Smart thermostats give you even more control over your heating and cooling system. Using your smart phone and a compatible app, you can change your home’s temperature wirelessly, regardless of where you are. That means you can adjust it if anything unexpected happens—whether you’re out of town longer than you thought or the weather suddenly changes. That control, along with the energy usage reports your smart model offers, 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 desire your thermostat to be able to do, there are several options:
- Should it maintain the temperature in your home as close as possible to your preferred setting? iComfort® systems maintain the temperature in your home within a half degree of what you set the thermostat to.
- Should it detect your location to automatically adjust temperatures when you are gone? iComfort’s Smart Away™ mode detects your location using your phone and adjusts the temperature when you leave. When you’re driving home, the system adjusts again to make sure you’re comfortable when you get home.
- Should your device adjust to meet the climate? The iComfort Feels Like™ feature takes weather conditions like temperature and humidity into account while altering 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 leaving the couch.
Ready to find a smart thermostat model that matches your home and lifestyle? The pros at Temperature Doctors Heating & Cooling, Inc can help you get started. You can reach us us at (815)914-6197 to an appointment with us. We can answer any questions you have and walk you through the options for your home comfort system.