5 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade to a Smart Thermostat

Upgrading to a smart thermostat comes with many benefits.

Smart thermostats offer more than simply being able to turn on/off your heating from your smartphone. While the benefits of Wi-Fi controls tend to offer more convenience, today's modern smart thermostats can also save you money by using built-in algorithms.

By learning how you use your heating (or cooling), smart thermostats can efficiently adjust the temperature to offer a more eco-friendly and balanced approach. In fact, some thermostats will automatically turn off when they detect you aren't at home. So, if you left the heating on by accident, you won't be wasting energy or money.

But there are many more reasons why smart thermostats are worth it, and why you should upgrade to one.

Smart home devices are taking the market by storm because they are convenient. Busy lives mean less time for slightly more trivial or mundane tasks like vacuuming, mowing the lawn, and even locking your door.

A smart thermostat allows you to turn the heating/cooling on/off from almost anywhere. You don't need to be at home to program your thermostat so that the heating comes on when you return from work or vacation.

Some smart thermostats like the Google Nest Learning Thermostat can even detect when you're not at home based on your location. You can tell the thermostat to turn the heating or cooling off when you're not at home, adding an extra layer of convenience that can actually save you money. Not to mention it's more energy-efficient too.

The convenience of smart thermostats doesn't end with user-based interaction, either. Most are far easier to install, too, meaning you won't need a professional to come out and assist you. For example, some thermostats can be installed without a C wire, using an adapter or rechargeable batteries for simplicity.

Control your home's heating and cooling from anywhere with the Google Nest Learning Thermostat. Enable scheduling and Home/Away assist to keep costs down and allow the thermostat to learn from your routines.

While you can control your smart thermostat from your smartphone, being able to create schedules using companion apps is so much easier.

Some non-smart thermostats are frankly a pain to get your head around. There are different options for heating, multiple settings for different times of the day, and even weekly programs that can feel confusing when you're using a manual method.

Smart thermostat apps allow for in-depth scheduling and control. You can copy/paste times and temperatures easily, or even tell your smart thermostat to repeat the same routine every day. Some will even learn from your routines and create schedules based on your habits.

Non-tech-savvy people, elderly users, or those with limited mobility will likely find app-based scheduling very useful. By heating or cooling your home at the required times to almost pinpoint accuracy, less energy is wasted. In fact, some smart thermostats can even adjust the temperature of your home based on the weather outside.

Energy savings can be quite substantial when you invest in a smart thermostat. It's much easier to turn the heating or AC off from your smartphone if you forget to do it at home. With a traditional thermostat, you'd have to physically be at home to interact with the device.

Thermostats like the ecobee Smart Thermostat can offer reports of your monthly energy usage and claim to save you up to 26% on annual heating and cooling costs. This is possible thanks to advanced technology that allows the ecobee Smart Thermostat to automatically cool or heat your home when electricity is more affordable.

Since smart thermostats are more accurate than traditional thermostats, you can hone in on the correct temperature needed for your home. Similarly, small changes like adjusting the temperature to one degree lower when heating (or higher when cooling) can make a big difference.

But other than saving money on your energy bills, smart thermostats tend to be more reliable. Yes, they initially cost anywhere between $50 to $200 on average, but once that initial investment has been made, they can last for years. And, thanks to smart integration with smartphone apps and other smart devices like Amazon Echo or Google Nest, you have more control over your home's temperature.

Unlock energy savings with the ecobee Smart Thermostat which automatically adjusts the temperature when you're not at home and learns your routine to offer more affordable and cleaner electricity.

Some smart thermostats can help to improve the air quality in your home. A device like the ecobee Smart Thermostat has built-in air quality monitoring which can alert you when your filters need changing. In addition, the built-in smoke alarm detection can notify you of any potential hazards, making it a great all-around investment.

Better air quality not only helps the environment, but it can also help to prevent the flaring up of certain illnesses and is beneficial to those who suffer from health conditions like asthma.

When it comes to selling your home, you could see an increase in your property's value if you have smart home equipment installed.

Smart thermostats give you control over your heating, making life easier for the homeowner. But, as we know, it's not just convenience that attracts people to smart thermostats. The money-saving and energy-saving benefits can be significant. By allowing your smart thermostat to heat or cool your home to the exact temperature, the guesswork is removed, which means you don't use as much energy.

There really aren't many (if any) downsides to owning a smart thermostat. They are convenient, can save you money, reduce your bills and carbon footprint, improve air quality, and even increase your home's value.

Other than the small learning curve that initially comes with setting up a smart thermostat and creating schedules, they are incredibly easy to use. Plus, if you get a device like the Google Nest Learning Thermostat, you won't even need to schedule heating or cooling as it learns from your routines and works out a schedule based on the results.

Georgie is MakeUseOf's Senior eCommerce Editor. She has a degree in Psychology from the University of Gloucestershire, UK, but spent her childhood growing up in Central London. When she escaped the big smoke, Georgie pursued her passion for technology and became a freelance writer.