Smart technology has been slowly making its way into homes to make things safer, more convenient, or less expensive. Smart thermostats are making it easy for homeowners and renters to improve the energy efficiency of their homes and make their day-to-day lifestyles greener and cheaper. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), almost half of your energy costs go to heating and cooling your home, so why not do it efficiently? For the average household in the U.S., energystar.gov has estimated that home conditioning adds up to be more than $900 a year.
A smart thermostat can help you reduce your energy use, save money every month, and lower your carbon footprint. If you’re wondering about the investment, we have even more good news for you. The sponsors of the Mass Save® program are offering a $100 rebate off smart thermostats and no-cost installation through a Home Energy Assessment by signing up here.
Not convinced yet? Here is why more and more homeowners and renters are switching to smart thermostats.
Scheduling
If you already use a programmable thermostat, you are probably used to the idea of customized settings. If you’re at work, on vacation, or just at dinner, your smart thermostat will help ensure that your home is set at your ideal temperature and ready for you when you walk in the door (without wasting energy while you’re gone). There are high levels of customization, depending on your lifestyle. Having a party at your place on Saturday? Have your thermostat automatically make your home cooler right before people arrive and don’t worry about turning it back when you go to bed, it’ll take care of that, too. Scheduling is great for all types of lifestyles because it takes the pressure off of remembering to adjust your thermostat constantly.
Phone Control
The best part about customizing your settings is that it can all be done from a smart phone, computer, or tablet. You can even receive and respond to alerts to optimize your home’s energy efficiency. That means no forgetting as you walk out the door or wondering while you’re sitting on the beach if you remembered to turn down your air conditioner before you left. Everything else is on our phones in an app like banking, email, and food delivery, so why not have your home thermostat on there, too? Out later than you originally thought? Change of plans? Your home temperature can be easily changed from your device. And with the unexpected changes that the weather can throw at us, it’s great that your smart thermostat is built to regulate itself so that when you’re away, there’s no chance of your pipes freezing because you’re not home to adjust the thermostat during an unexpected temperature drop.
User-friendliness
It’s so easy to use that you’ll find yourself using it more often than you might think. While everyone always talks about how smart these thermostats are, what’s not mentioned as often is how they have maintained their user-friendliness. One of the perks is the convenience of using it from your smart device in a way that is easy to manage and quick to navigate. You can also still walk down the stairs to where it’s installed and use it like your programmable thermostat. If you have individuals living with you who aren’t technology savvy, they can continue to use it like a programmable thermostat if needed. You don’t even need to worry about figuring out how to install it because the sponsors of the Mass Save program include installation as a part of their no-cost Home Energy Assessment. A home energy specialist will set it up for you and answer any questions you have so you don’t have to turn to Google and DIY videos to get the job done.
Advanced Settings
These thermostats are called smart for a reason, and depending on your model and brand, they are capable of some pretty advanced options like pairing with Alexa or Google for voice activated temperature control. A smart thermostat pays attention to your preferences, how frequent you interact with your thermostat, your heating and cooling habits, and can even give you suggestions to optimize your savings. For example, a smart thermostat will learn and remember how long it takes your home to warm up according to the current indoor temperature and outdoor weather, so that it uses the least amount of energy possible while you’re away, but has your home at your comfort level when you walk in the door. Depending on your settings, a smart thermostat is capable of utilizing preferences, sensors, and weather data in order to learn how to best maximize your savings. It can also utilize geofencing to tell when you’ve left and when you’re on your way home, adjusting as you move around. Of course, all these settings are up to your discretion and you can have as much or as little control as you’d like.
Savings
A smart thermostat can teach you about your heating and cooling habits year-round and will give you suggestions on how and when to save. Most models come with weekly and monthly reporting so that you stay on top of your energy use and can adjust when you see fit. We’ve all heard about someone who has walked in the door and cranked the AC or heat to an irresponsible number so that it will “quickly” get more comfortable (which is actually a myth). It’s a habit like this that a smart thermostat will eliminate which means more saved energy and money for you. Daily adjustments will equate to big savings!
That’s the whole point of a smart thermostat. It’s for homeowners and renters who want to save energy, money, and the planet in an easy way. The sponsors of the Mass Save program make it easy by offering no-cost Home Energy Assessments, either virtually or in-person, that come with a lot of benefits for eligible participants. Benefits include no-cost programmable thermostats or $100 off a smart thermostat. There are also other incentives offered like 100% off air sealing and 75%+ off insulation. It’s a great package because your smart thermostat will work more effectively for you when your home is sealed and protected the best way it can be.
At HomeWorks Energy, we’re a proud Mass Save partner and we have already helped 125,000+ Massachusetts neighbors become more energy efficient. Call us at (781) 305-3319 or click here to sign up for a no-cost Home Energy Assessment and access thermostat rebates!
