Save 20% or More on Heating & Cooling With a Smart Thermostat

During Arizona’s long, hot summers, our HVAC systems remain on day and night with little downtime. With air conditioning accounting for more than 70 percent of total heating and cooling bills, it’s smart to install a new thermostat. You’ll see a quick return on your investment – programmable thermostats, or their even more modern cousins, “smart” thermostats, can pay for themselves in less than two years! Single-story or multi-level home, condominium or apartment, commercial building or vacation home, installing smart thermostats make good sense for consumers, the environment, and utility budgets, too.

Programmable Thermostats vs. Smart Thermostats

Traditional wall-mounted thermostats allow you to adjust the temperature in your home by pressing a button, sliding a bar, or turning a dial, but older models are not very efficient. Upgrading your thermostat can save you lots of money on heating and cooling, but choosing the right type for your needs is important.

Install a programmable thermostat, and you’ll be able to adjust the heating or air-conditioning according to a pre-set schedule. Programmable thermostats can store and repeat multiple settings (six or more temperature settings a day). However, one common issue HVAC professionals often see with programmable thermostats is people forgetting to program them or giving up on trying because it’s just too complicated. The US Department of Energy estimates that around 41 percent of the nation’s homes have a programmable thermostat. Of those, around 40 percent are unprogrammed, defeating the benefits – and savings – associated with having one in the first place.

Smart thermostats are easier to use than regular programmable thermostats, so you will likely use it more often. Smart thermostats are connected to the Internet, so you can monitor and control your home’s temperature from the wall-mounted touchscreen when you’re at home or by using an app on your smartphone from wherever you are in the world. Whether you’re at work, school, hanging out on the couch, or on vacation, you’re always in control of your home heating and cooling. 

Advanced models of smart thermostats that utilize AI technologies are also available. Smart thermostats “learn” your household’s particular patterns and temperature preferences and can automatically adjust them to your preferred settings when you’re home, asleep, or at work. A smart thermostat can also learn how long it takes to heat or cool a room based on the outside temperature and other data from your home, so they can maximize your energy-savings while you are away or asleep. They can also integrate with other smart devices you already own, so you can even adjust the temperature up or down with a single voice command! No matter which type of thermostat you choose, you can save money on heating in the winter months, and on cooling during the summer months.

How a Smart Thermostat Saves Money on Cooling

According to move.org, Arizona is the seventh most expensive state for utilities. Now consider how many hours you’re away from home during the day, or asleep at night. Sure, adjusting the thermostat upwards by a few degrees before leaving the house can help save money and energy. However, since traditional thermostats only allow for manual adjustments, this can mean some uncomfortable times waiting for the house to cool down when you return. 

With air conditioning accounting for more than 70 percent of your total heating and cooling bill, installing a smart thermostat makes good sense. A smart thermostat can learn the best times to raise or lower temperatures during the day and at night, or you can control it from your smartphone, so you’ll stay comfortably cool when you’re home, and save money when you’re not.

How a Smart Thermostat Saves Money on Heating

While our state’s southern position means long, hot summers, the desert can also cause freezing temperatures in winter months. A smart thermostat can help you avoid any discomfort by raising the temperature of your home before you wake, drop it down when you go out, and then turning up the heat before you return home. It’s that simple!

Before choosing a smart thermostat, consider these key questions:

  • Is it compatible with your current HVAC system?
  • Is the thermostat interface easy to use?
  • Is the smartphone app easy to navigate and control?
  • Does it integrate with other smart home devices?
  • Automatic adjustments, convenient remote control or both?

Not sure about the right thermostat for your home? Call the Comfort Heroes at Donley to discuss the options available for saving money on your energy bill.