Heating and cooling costs account for about half of a typical home’s energy bill, according to the Department of Energy. So when it comes to reducing energy use and cutting home energy costs, start with your thermostat. The right thermostat settings could yield energy savings of 5%–15%, and new technology is making it easier than ever to use those settings.
If you’re interested in controlling your thermostat with your voice or an app, or in being hands-off and letting it learn your habits, consider a smart thermostat. To narrow your choices, factor in smart features, price and attributes that matter most to you, such as color, size or style, and make sure the product you select supports your home’s HVAC system.
Nest’s fourth-generation Learning Thermostat and Ecobee’s Smart Thermostat Premium are the most sophisticated devices in this category. They’re usually priced up to $260, but consumers can easily recoup their money in energy cost savings.
Both can be adjusted via computer, tablet, smartphone, Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa device. And both can interact with other smart devices and utilize geofencing—using your phone’s GPS to determine if you’re home, then automatically adjusting the temperature.
Remote sensors can be purchased that allow the thermostats to take readings from any room throughout your home and adjust the temperature accordingly. This can be an advantage if your thermostat is located near a draft or in direct sunlight. Ecobee’s sensors go one step further with occupancy sensing, which notices if there is movement in the house.
Nest, powered by a rechargeable battery or your home wiring, automatically learns your schedule. When you begin using your Nest, it makes a few assumptions and creates a baseline for its schedule. As you adjust the temperature up or down, Nest records it and, after a week, learns your schedule and the temperature settings you prefer. From there, it continues to learn and respond to your adjustments.
Ecobee must be hardwire installed, utilize a touchscreen and analyze HVAC data for 18 months. Temperature and motion data from the thermostat and sensors are recorded and can be accessed online to help you monitor total energy use, how the weather influences your use and how your home efficiency compares to other users in your area.
The two thermostats can connect with your home’s other energy devices. Ecobee recognizes dehumidifiers and ventilators, and Nest recognizes heat pumps and auxiliary heat.
For those looking for a smart thermostat with fewer bells and whistles, the Honeywell Lyric T5+ for around $200 and Wyze thermostat for around $80 are two popular options that are more affordable. While they can’t sense your presence or learn your schedule, they do include geofencing and can interact with other smart home devices, such as turning on lights when you arrive or leave home.
