Smart thermostats – they’ve been on the market for a few years now and many people are wondering if they are worth the extra cost? A lot of this depends on your comfort with the new technology and how you will be using it.
Many of the new models on the market will save you money on your energy bill, when used in conjunction with a high efficiency HVAC system. The reason for this is that many of the new thermostats have integrated motion sensors. This way they “know” when someone is in the house and will communicate with your AC unit or furnace in order to keep the temperature comfortable. They are also far easier to program than the older style programmable thermostats so much so that many are coming with an app that can be downloaded to your phone or tablet. This allows the user to go through and set what temperature they want the house and at what time they would like it to be that temperature. You can also adjust your thermostat from around the world from your device. That if you are out of town and find out that it is going to be very hot when you’re scheduled to come home you can make sure your home is cool when you walk in the door.
Other advantages to these thermostats particularly with the Honeywell line is the wide array of products offered that are compatible with the app that comes with the thermostat. These include security cameras, motion sensors and many new products are added every year. One of the most exciting new products is the leak detectors which will send you a notification if they are triggered. For people with basements such devices can save you thousands and thousands of dollars in costly repairs. These products make your thermostat much more than it was 10 years ago.
These thermostats may not be for everyone but for most people it is worth the extra initial cost. The people who would most likely not benefit are those who are planning to move in the next year or two. People who are not comfortable with technology and those whose homes are not properly insulated.
Aside from the features which many homeowners appreciate there are also features which HVAC technicians will appreciate. When installed with a “communicating” system, certain manufacturers are creating systems which will be Bluetooth linkable or have a USB port for diagnostics. These will drastically reduce the amount of time it takes a service tech to diagnose and fix the issue with a system. This will save the homeowner in the long run as they will not being paying for many hours of a service technician’s time. And at some point they may even be capable of stopping your furnace or AC from having a catastrophic failure.
So in short yes, for most people, smart thermostats are worth it and as they become more advanced and capable of learning they will become more and more valuable.
