Being green has never been easier.
We live in a world where technology is all around us. Our homes have always been a frontier of the next new gadget. For many years smart technology, such as automation and smart controls for heating/cooling may have been too expensive for the average homeowner. Now that has all changed with more affordable smart thermostats coming to a big box store near you.
For most of us heating and cooling our home accounts for about 40% of our energy costs. No matter where you live or your income, saving money and energy always makes sense. Here we will look at 3 of the highest ranked smart thermostats available to the general public and see which one might be for you. The features can vary depending on which brand and model you get. Many share the same features and claim to save you money on your heating and cooling bill. All 3 thermostats are Wi-Fi enabled, this give you the ability to control them from an app on your smart devices.
Common Features:
- Seven Day Scheduling
- Vacation/Hold feature
- Change filter reminder
- Real-time Clock
- Humidity Sensor
- Outside Temperature
- Digital Backlit Display
- Touch Screen
Nest– The Nest is a learning thermostat. For those of you that had difficulty programming the VCR, this thermostat may be for you. For those of you that don’t used to activate features such as “Auto Away”. The Nest can adjust the heat/cooling automatically when you have left the house and there is not activity. It will even tell you the “Time to Target” temperature.
Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart– Honeywell has been making thermostats for a long time. It is no surprise that they have gotten into the game of smart thermostats. Honeywell has created a thermostat that is beautiful as well as functional. The Honeywell offers voice commands, by using pre-programed commands such as “make it cooler” or “make it much cooler”, allowing you can take control of your comfort. Programming is performed by answering a series of questions to determine temperature and time of changes and then the thermostat will determine how to adjust the heating and cooling system to use the least about of energy possible. Another feature is a full color displace that can be changed to match your décor.
Ecobee Smart– This thermostat takes going green to a different level. By using the web portal interface you can get real time information about your heating/cooling system and energy usage. It can give you a full forecast of the weather outside your home. With a feature call “DataRhythm Technology” the Ecobee will create a program that is specific to you, your systems and your climate. You can also order protective skins for your thermostat that make it fit into your décor whether it is for a home or commercial space.
These thermostats are not cheap, with the average price of $250-$275. Over time these thermostats will pay for themselves in cost savings if used to create an efficient heating and cooling schedule. They each offer unique features that will have an appeal to different users but the main benefit of these thermostats is that they will allow you to have full control over your comfort and save money.
DataRhythm Technology is a trademark of Ecobee