Why Are Smart Thermostats Better? (8 Reasons)

When you’re making the switch from a regular home to a smart home, you think about getting smart TVs, smart lights, smart locks, and smart speakers with voice-activated virtual assistants. Smart thermostats are usually the last thing that comes to mind because it is one device that doesn’t add security and entertainment value. But what makes smart thermostats better than conventional ones?

Smart thermostats are better because they allow you to track your energy use and minimize your energy costs. You will also be able to control the temperature of your home remotely, so it’s already warm and cozy even before you arrive. Smart thermostats also have sensors that make them convenient.

This article will discuss the various reasons why it makes sense for you to go for a smart thermostat or to switch from a conventional one. It will explain each benefit in detail and you will see how it can save you time and money.

You can track your energy consumption

A smart thermostat tracks your energy consumption and provides you with energy reports. These reports will give you information about how much electricity your heat and cooling system is using. You will also get an idea of how much your energy consumption changes over time, so you’ll know how much it helps you towards your energy efficiency goals.

These energy consumption reports can also give you tips on how you can adjust your cooling and heating behaviors so you can further decrease your energy costs and save even more money in the long run.

Smart thermostats save money by lessening energy costs

Smart thermostats can help most users save money because you can keep track of your energy usage as far as your cooling and heating system is concerned, and you would be able to make adjustments and minimize your energy costs. 

A smart thermostat automatically adjusts heating and cooling temperature settings in your home for optimal performance.

Aside from energy tracking, your smart thermostat will also be able to schedule your HVAC so that it runs only when you are at home.

With conventional thermostats, homeowners aren’t willing to turn their heater or air conditioning off while they’re out because they don’t want to come home to a very cold or very hothouse.

But with a smart thermostat, you can schedule it in such a way that it starts cooling or warming your home before you arrive. 

To put it simply, this scheduling feature offers you comfort with zero waiting time and allows you to save energy while you’re out. 

Because it can proactively manage your climate-control system in a way that traditional thermostats can’t, saving energy is a natural byproduct.

Ecobee smart thermostats, for instance, guarantee that you will be able to save about 23 percent on heating and cooling costs.

Meanwhile, the Nest Thermostat promises 15 percent savings on cooling and 10 to 12 percent savings on heating costs. In fact, according to Nest Learning Thermostat, it can start paying for itself in less than two years of use.

You can control your smart thermostat remotely

You’ll be able to control smart thermostats remotely through its accompanying mobile app as long as there’s a Wi-Fi connection. Using your smartphone, you will be able to turn your thermostat on or off, as well as indicate your temperature preferences.

So, if you are coming home from a long, tiring day at work and would want it to be at a specific temperature, you can set your thermostat even while you’re still on your way. 

That means always coming home to a place that’s already comfortable and cozy. You also don’t have to worry about forgetting to turn off your HVAC system because the app allows you to check at any time.

A smart thermostat tracks the weather and has air quality sensors

Newer smart thermostat models can track the latest weather reports in your area with your Wi-Fi network. Your thermostat will then make adjustments to the temperature of your house, depending on the weather.

If things are cold and chilly outside, it will turn up the heat of your HVAC system so that you can stay comfortably warm at home. If it’s scorching hot outside, then your thermostat will turn temperatures cooler than usual.

Some have built-in self-learning functions

There are smart thermostats that have long-term learning capabilities. This means that your thermostat will take cues from your behavior, including your temperature preferences and your usage from day to day and week to week, and will use this information to build its schedule around your own. 

So, for example, you always turn on your thermostat at 4:00 in the afternoon, from Monday to Friday, and set it to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius). So even if you forget to do it, your thermostat will automatically do it for you.

Of course, your smart thermostat will use this feature in tandem with its motion sensors and with the weather tracker.

This cooperative function allows your thermostat to adjust temperature settings as seasons change or as more people are inside.

It adjusts to a cooler temperature if there are many warm bodies gathered in the house or sunny outside. And if there are fewer people, or if it is a rainy day, your thermostat would make things warmer inside.

Smart thermostats learn your habits and can sense when you are home or away which allows for even smarter and more efficient control.

A smart thermostat has motion sensors

Smart thermostats also have built-in motion sensors that can tell if there are people inside the house. It knows when you and your family are busy preparing for work and for school when you leave the house one by one, when you’re all gone, and when you come back home. 

These sensors will work with the thermostat’s self-learning function to build a heating and cooling schedule on its own. If there are more people inside the house, which makes the place warmer, it will also adjust the temperature, so it still feels comfortably cool. 

With these capabilities, you can eventually forget about your thermostat because it will do everything for you.

Smart thermostats have more user-friendly designs

Compared to an ordinary thermostat, a smart thermostat has a more user-friendly design. A smart thermostat is accurate and informative which are big benefits to their usability.

It has a more straightforward interface and a larger and clearer temperature display that you can read from a few feet away.

You no longer have to come too close or to squint to see the tiny numbers on a poorly lit display.

And because it comes with an app that you can install on your mobile device, you don’t have to look for the right mini buttons to press.

You can connect it to other smart devices (Echo)

Smart thermostats are compatible with your other smart devices, and you can program them so that they work seamlessly together. For example, you can program your smart lights and smart thermostat to turn on simultaneously. 

You can also integrate your smart speaker, like Amazon Echo or Google Home, into smart thermostats so that you can control the latter through voice commands and without using your hands. This way, you don’t have to carry your smartphone with you all the time when you’re just at home.

You can tell Alexa to turn up your room’s heat or adjust your HVAC to a specific temperature, and it will communicate with your thermostat for you.

Conclusion

Many things make smart thermostats better than conventional or non-smart ones. For one, this device has many advanced features that will make it a lot more convenient and comfortable for you and your family.

It has weather tracking, motion sensors, a learning function, and connectivity with smart speakers and other smart devices in your smart home. However, the best reason why you should make the switch is energy efficiency.

Smart thermostats inform you about your energy use and allow you to reduce your energy costs eventually.