What are the benefits of upgrading your thermostat?

When it comes to your home's energy efficiency, thermostats are often overlooked. Over the years, however, they have evolved significantly, becoming more advanced and boosting energy efficiency. Some models even allow for remote control, letting homeowners adjust settings even when they are not home. In this blog, I’ll explore the features and benefits of these smart thermostats.

What are the benefits of upgrading your thermostat?

Your HVAC system works hard to reach your selected temperature. The bigger the gap between the outside and inside temperatures, the harder it has to work. For instance, in the summer, the afternoon heat causes a significant difference, making your system consume lots of electricity to cool your home. But if you're not home in the afternoon, why waste energy? It makes sense to give your HVAC system a break and save electricity. Today's thermostats can be programmed to heat and cool based on a schedule. Some even detect if you're home or away, adjusting automatically to save you money.

Types of Thermostats

When upgrading your thermostats, you've got plenty of options. Let's start with the basics and move to more advanced types.

• Honeywell T3:  First up is the simple programmable thermostat, like the Honeywell T3, which you can find for about $50 at Home Depot. These are affordable and allow you to set workday and weekend schedules, making them ideal for most people. For a reasonable price, you can optimize your HVAC energy consumption. If your schedule is consistent, this type of thermostat offers great value.
• Honeywell T5: The next type of thermostat is a programmable WiFi thermostat. Take the Honeywell T5, for instance: it offers 7-day programmability and can communicate with an app using WiFi technology. This app allows you to access and control the thermostat remotely, enabling you to make changes to settings no matter where you are. Additionally, the app lets you monitor your HVAC's performance over time, providing stats on run hours per day, month, or year. At around $100 from Home Depot, it's a solid choice if you want remote access and detailed HVAC runtime statistics. This is the thermostat I chose for both the upstairs and downstairs units in my house.
• Google Nest: If you’re into technology with all the bells and whistles, consider a smart thermostat like the Google Nest. This thermostat uses an outside air temperature sensor and monitors your activities as you come and go to learn the most efficient heating and cooling cycles. Smart thermostats like this are a step above programmable ones, using artificial intelligence instead of a fixed schedule to reduce energy consumption. They can be operated remotely via an app or activated by voice if you don’t feel like lifting a finger. The Nest thermostat integrates with other Google Home devices on the same platform. While they’re the most expensive option, they’re fantastic for smart home enthusiasts. The Google Nest with an outside temp sensor is about $280 at Home Depot.

Conclusion

No matter which option you choose, upgrading your thermostat is likely to save you money. The upgrade cost is relatively low, and it's not difficult for the average “do-it-yourselfer” to install. I upgraded my thermostats to the Honeywell T5 devices for both upstairs and downstairs. I've enjoyed using them to monitor the improvements in my home's energy efficiency. Check out the picture of my HVAC unit charts that show the following: Chart 1 shows my HVAC unit's run hours before my home efficiency projects to date, and Chart 2 shows the run hours after. That is a big reduction in cooling hours!

Stay tuned for my next blog where I discuss energy-efficient windows. Please subscribe to my blogs, follow me on my social channels, and if you need a knowledgeable realtor, call me!