Trying to keep a house sufficiently warm during winter can be a major expense, especially in cold, snowy places like Upstate New York. According to the EPA, the average homeowner pays around 15% more to heat their home than necessary as a result of not adjusting the temperature on their thermostat before leaving for work or going to bed. While a standard programmable thermostat makes it easier to reduce energy waste compared to an old analog model, a smart thermostat can provide the greatest savings.
How Much Can You Save on Heating Costs With a Smart Thermostat?
The US Department of Energy estimates that homeowners will save around 10% on heating (and cooling) their house by installing a smart thermostat. Depending on the type and size of your heating system and how efficient it is, a 10% reduction in heating costs typically adds up to savings of around $150-$300 a year. When you also take into account the reduced cooling costs, a smart thermostat should essentially pay for itself in only a year or two.
How Nest Smart Thermostats Work
Google currently offers two different Nest smart thermostats: a standard model and a learning thermostat. The standard model isn’t all that different from a normal programmable thermostat, other than that it’s Wi-Fi-enabled and can be controlled with a mobile app. That means you still need to input your preferred temperature settings and schedule the thermostat to turn the temperature up and down at different times of the day.
The learning thermostat is much more advanced and will start automatically adjusting the temperature at different times on its own. When you first install the thermostat, you need to use the app to program your temperature settings and schedule. The thermostat then gradually learns your week and weekend routines by using its motion sensor to detect if the house is occupied and also by monitoring the location of your phone. After about a week, it will then take over and adjust the temperature on its own based on your routines. If you don’t want the thermostat to change the temperature by itself, you can turn this learning mode off through the app.
Will the thermostat automatically adjust the temperature?
Both models have an Eco mode where they will automatically turn the heating down if they detect that the house is unoccupied for a certain amount of time. They can again detect occupancy using their motion sensors and by the location of your phone. When the standard model switches into Eco mode, it will just turn the temperature down to whatever you’ve programmed it to be at when you’re away. The learning model determines how far down it should turn the temperature based on how cold it is outside. This helps ensure your HVAC system can heat your home back to your preferred temperature within an hour or less.
How will the thermostat determine the average temperature across my home?
The learning thermostat comes with another temperature sensor that you can place in a different part of your house. You can purchase additional sensors and connect up to six of them to the thermostat. The thermostat can use these sensors to determine the average temperature across the house and then signal the HVAC system to turn on and off based on this average instead of based on the temperature the thermostat itself reads. You can also program the thermostat so that it uses the temperature readings of only one of the sensors or the average reading of the sensors in one area of the house. For instance, in the evening and overnight, you may want to use the sensors in the bedroom area to ensure your bedrooms never get too hot or too cold.
Expert HVAC Services – Contact Us Today!
With over 40 years of experience, Suburban Services Group is the company to trust for reliable home comfort services. We specialize in smart thermostat installation services and offer numerous ENERGY STAR-certified options. We can also install any model of smart thermostat you purchased on your own. When you schedule an appointment for your heating system or top-rated cooling services, you can trust that one of our friendly, courteous technicians will arrive on time, ready to get to work, and that they’ll fully clean the work area before leaving. To learn more about the smart thermostats we offer or to schedule service in Burnt Hills or the Ballston Lake area, contact us today.
