HVAC and roofing companies typically recommend programmable and smart thermostats to homeowners who want to save money on their energy bills. But are these products really as good as advertised?
The short answer is yes, a programmable or smart thermostat can save you money and even keep your HVAC system going strong for years, making life more convenient for your household. But there are a few conditions involved.
How Do Programmable/Smart Thermostats Save You Money?
Smart and programmable thermostats save you money by automatically cooling or heating your home according to your preferences. This means they cool or heat it only as needed so the HVAC unit doesn’t use too much energy when it doesn’t have to.
A smart thermostat may also have a feature for diagnosing your HVAC system and reminding you if it’s almost due for servicing. This can help you save more money long-term because you can keep your HVAC healthy for years.
What Conditions Should My Home Meet?
To enjoy the savings a programmable or a smart thermostat can provide, you and your home have to meet a few conditions. Here are some of them, according to HVAC pros and roofers.
- First of all, if your home is empty for long periods of time on most days, then a programmable thermostat is very effective. For example, if you and your spouse go to work and your kids are at school on the weekdays, nobody is left at home that needs optimal temperatures. Your thermostat will adjust cooling a few degrees lower or heating a few degrees higher, then readjust back to your preferred temperature before you arrive back home. But if there are people who are at home every day, they’ll probably want optimal temperatures all day long, which defeats the purpose of an automatic thermostat.
- Do you mind a slightly colder home on winter nights or a slightly warmer one in the summer ? If not, then a programmable thermostat can save you energy overnight. Of course, it will revert back to your preferred temperature in the morning.
- If you want to use a programmable or smart thermostat, your home shouldn’t be located in an area with extremely cold or hot temperatures because the resulting discomfort may not allow you to make adjustments to your thermostat that would lead to any significant savings.
- You can’t consistently override your thermostat’s settings, because that would defeat the purpose of having a programmable or smart thermostat. Doing this will also likely hike up your energy costs.
We can help you choose a programmable or a smart thermostat and discuss its features with you. We also offer other services, including chimney repair. Get in touch with Hader roofing and HVAC professionals by calling us today at (513) 661-1910 or filling out this form. We work with homeowners to meet their roofing, cooling and heating needs in Cincinnati.
