Smart Thermostats: Automate Your Home

Smart thermostats are far advanced compared to many of the thermostats typically found in homes. Many of the features that they now contain are ones that simply weren’t possible before the Internet came along. However, now that we have access to virtually any information at our fingertips, why can’t our home thermostat have access to the same? In many cases, they do have access to information that is quite helpful to us, especially information regarding the date, time, and updated weather conditions.

Many smart thermostats also have some advanced automation abilities that many users aren’t aware of, though. For instance, the ability to program your thermostat to only work at specific times is an extremely important feature, as not only does it give you the convenience of not having to manually set the conditions how we want, but it can also help save you a bundle on energy costs by not working during the times when its not needed. Here we will give you some tips to get the most out of the programming feature of your new smart thermostat so you can partake in the tremendous value that it offers.

Programming Your Thermostat

Almost all smart thermostats let you program your conditions for up to seven days in advance, or even to work on an automatic weekly schedule. This is a great feature that can help you make life more convenient as well as save you a lot of money on your energy bill. The key to getting the most out of it, though, is to stick with a consistent schedule. During the day, most people are working, and thus, with an empty home, the thermostat usually doesn’t need to operate. Of course, this can leave the house either hot or cold at times during the day, but if no one is there, what difference does it make? Programming the thermostat to keep all energy use at an absolute minimum during the day is a great way to help cut down on that electric bill during the summer. Unless you have pets or children at home during that time, consider programming it to not operate at all while you are at work.

It’s also a good idea to take advantage of night conditions. For example, during the summer, the outside climate is usually at its nicest at night, where it is not so hot. Consider programming your thermostat to either use a minimum of cooling or turn off completely while you are sleeping. Take advantage of the ability to open windows if you can if it leaves your home still feeling a little stuffy. After all, clean, fresh air is free, and it doesn’t cost any money to maintain it if you can get it through an open window.

Stay Warm During the Winter

The above tips are great for during the summer months, but what about the winter? Heating costs can be just as much if not more than electricity costs, so of course it makes sense to save on your heating costs when you can. One of the best ways to do this is to rely on more natural methods of staying warm. If you have a fireplace, then perhaps you can try taking advantage of it in order to keep the heating costs down. Not only does it help with that, but it can help create a nice, cozy atmosphere that helps make your home feel a bit more comfortable for you and your family.