Summertime and energy bills are often an expensive combination. Luckily, energy efficient technology is constantly evolving, providing long-term savings for homeowners. Today we answer the question: Do smart thermostats save energy?
While smart thermostats are not necessarily a new concept, they are a relatively new trend. In 2007, the first Smart Thermostat was launched by Ecobee. The engineer, Stuart Lombard, created the device channeling wi-fi connectivity into thermostats.
This was revolutionary at the time, as the smart home concept was still on the horizon. Today, smart thermostats are common among modern homes and advertised as a worthwhile investment in the home improvement world.
From Carrier.com
Before determining energy savings, let’s look at the features of smart thermostats:
- Insight into a home’s temperature trends
- Reveal and store data on energy usage
- Wi-fi enabled, allowing for access anytime, anywhere
- Thermostat Programming, including automated programming with newer models
- Equipment usage data
- Geofencing, allowing the thermostat to determine whether the home is occupied or not and adjust temperature accordingly
Energy savings begin when the Smart Thermostat is optimized.
To reap the most energy savings from a Smart Thermostat, homeowners need to be relatively involved with the process. This begins with the initial installation. Learn more about what your thermostat should be set to by reviewing our Optimal Sleep Temperature blog that addresses thermostat settings.
Programmable thermostats can be set to your preferred temperature settings and automatically adjusts to your schedule and preset levels. Smart thermostats are programmable but they also automatically adjust the temperature in your home based on your behavior without having to manually adjust the programs. In addition, they are wi-fi enabled which allows the ability to monitor and control the temperatures in your home from a smartphone or other web-enabled device.
Ultimately, the amount of savings varies and is dependent upon your thermostat habits. If you set your thermostat 1 or 2 degrees higher or lower than your usual temperature, you’ll see a 1 to 3 percent savings in your energy bill. Realize even bigger savings by setting the thermostat back 10 to 15 degrees while at work for 8 hours and your savings jumps to nearly 10 percent.
According to Energy Star, if everyone used an Energy Star certified Smart Thermostat, energy savings would be 56 Trillion BTUs of Energy, equating to 740 million dollars. This translates to offsetting 13 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions annually. The opportunity for energy savings is certainly available.
Phil
You can always call on your extended family of dependable heating, cooling, and air quality experts at CPS Heating & Cooling.
Contact us anytime to set up a consultation or call us at 508-460-6691.
