Agencies like the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency recommend smart thermostats for all households. Most American homes with central heating and cooling systems still don’t have one. If you’re a homeowner with smart thermostat concerns, it’s worth investigating this upgrade. Smart thermostats are worth the investment, and here is why:

Equipment Price and Lifespan

More competition and lower manufacturing costs are leading to a gradual decrease in the price of smart thermostats. Many brands offer specials throughout the year, including through local HVAC companies. The other consideration is equipment life. A modern smart thermostat can easily last a decade or more, which is a long time to recoup your investment. Most homeowners will replace their smart thermostat with new features long before the unit fails.

ENERGY STAR Certification

ENERGY STAR is a joint EPA-DOE program through which independent labs test appliances and devices, including smart thermostats. A smart thermostat with the ENERGY STAR label provides confidence in the performance of a product. The consumer knows that the unit is among the most energy-efficient in its class. You also know that testing has backed up any marketing claims, and certification may make you eligible for energy incentives.

Energy Incentives

Energy incentives are programs that entice consumers to invest in energy-efficient products. The most common form of energy incentive in the U.S. is a rebate. Rebates are available through manufacturers, local utility companies, and federal, state, and local government agencies. With proof of purchase, a rebate provides you with a cash amount to offset or cover the thermostat cost. If there are multiple rebates for which you meet the criteria, you may be able to take advantage of them all.

To find out about rebates that are available, we recommend starting with the ENERGY STAR website. The EPA lets you search for rebates by zip code. You should also contact your local energy companies. They may have information about rebates not posted yet and other programs.

Scheduling

The main way a smart thermostat saves you money and helps you recoup your investment is through scheduling. The DOE estimates that the average household can lower its annual heating and cooling bill by 10%. You’ll need to adjust your temperature by 7 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit for eight hours a day to achieve these savings. Most households will have no trouble doing that for four hours overnight and at work. You can be even more aggressive with your scheduling to increase those savings.

Profiles

You likely don’t have the same schedule daily, which is where profiles come in. In a basic setup, you can have a one-weekday schedule and another for the weekend. Smart thermostats often support schedules for each day of the week and the different seasons. There are also different mode options. A hold mode, for instance, allows you to override the current schedule. Vacation mode, on the other hand, makes it easy to save money while you’re away.

Geofencing

Scheduling isn’t a convenient solution for all households. It may be difficult to program the system accurately if you’re coming and going at different hours throughout the week. In that case, we recommend a smart thermostat with geofencing. Smart thermostats with geofencing establish a virtual perimeter around the home. All family members pair their phones with the thermostat, which allows the system to track them via GPS. The system uses a comfort profile when family members are within the perimeter and an efficient profile when they’re not.

Remote Access and Control

Wi-Fi connectivity is the base feature that distinguishes a smart thermostat from a programmable thermostat. A smart thermostat can connect to your local network and the internet. You can control the thermostat from your phone while sitting on the couch, at work, or even while traveling. Did you forget to put the system in vacation mode, and are you already on the road? You can adjust through the app.

Machine Learning

Many modern smart thermostats can learn and adapt. Some can monitor household HVAC habits and automatically adjust schedules to refine them. Another example is smart setbacks. Setback refers to the period when the thermostat increases or decreases the temperature to save energy or return to normal. This is inherently an inefficient transition because it costs more energy to achieve a temperature than to maintain it. With smart setbacks, the thermostat can optimize the transitional period to minimize energy losses.

Minimized Cycling

Cycling refers to how often an HVAC system turns on and for how long it runs when it does. The more cycling a system does, the more wear and tear it experiences. That can result in reduced efficiency and equipment lifespan. If you manually adjust your thermostat, the system will likely cycle more often. With a smart thermostat, you’ll minimize how often it cycles.

Energy Monitoring and Reporting

Smart thermostats can often track your system’s energy consumption in real time. A core benefit to this feature is that a spike in energy usage may be the first sign of an HVAC problem. You’ll notice that spike within hours rather than a month from now when you get your bill. In addition, these systems can often analyze data and build reports. Those reports can show you when and why your system is inefficient and tell you when to schedule a heating repair or AC service. Features like these have gotten even more sophisticated with the prevalence of cloud computing.

Peak and Off-Peak Electricity Rates

Many utility companies charge different rates based on the time of day. Many smart thermostats can automatically put the system into an efficiency mode during peak rates. With early iterations of such features, you often had to input the rate data. Most modern systems update that data automatically through the internet.

Local Utility Opt-in Programs

Local utility companies often charge more during peak periods because energy is more expensive to produce during these times. Peak usage also puts a much greater strain on the grid. For this reason, many utility companies offer programs that require a smart thermostat, and you must opt-in. In return, you will receive a discount in addition to using an eco-mode during the peak period.

Predictive Maintenance

Predictive maintenance is among the newest smart thermostat features. Industry experts think it will significantly reduce maintenance and repair costs for homeowners moving forward. It’s already made a substantial difference for commercial properties. The smart thermostat monitors performance data from the HVAC equipment. An anomalous performance can alert you to schedule a diagnostic appointment. This allows your technician to perform heater or AC maintenance and proactive repairs long before serious issues manifest.

Would You Like To Install a Smart Thermostat in Sacramento?

Crystal Blue Plumbing, Heating & Air has served Sacramento area homeowners since 1976. Our company offers a broad selection of high-quality smart and programmable thermostats and can install, program, calibrate, and maintain them. Our NATE-certified technicians specialize in heating, cooling, ventilation, and indoor air quality services. We have licensed plumbers available for inspections, installations, repairs, and maintenance. That includes kitchen and bathroom fixtures, water heaters, filters, softeners, and sump pumps.

Call Crystal Blue Plumbing, Heating & Air today or book an appointment online to schedule an appointment.