There are several smart thermostats on the market now. If you're not sure what makes a "smart" thermostat better than what you already have connected in your home, here's a rundown of some of its most important features.
Most smart thermostats connect to your existing setup just like any other model. Most people should be able to install it on their own. Simply follow the directions that come with the smart thermostat and you will be enjoying a new, more energy-efficient system in no time.
Smart thermostats connect to your home's wireless Internet connection. Since they're web-connected, you can access them from your mobile phone through apps made specifically for the thermostat. Some thermostats also offer access through your computer's browser.
What that means is you can have your home stay cool during a winter day while you're at work, and then pump up the heat as you're leaving the office and heading home. It's the same thing you can do with the timer function on some thermostats already, except in this case you can change the settings on the fly.
Most smart thermostats come with built-in motion detectors that enable it to detect when you're home and know when you've left. That means that even if you forget to turn the heat down while you're away for the weekend, the thermostat will sense you're not home and can suggest to you via the mobile app that it adjust accordingly. Most smart thermostats even handle the programming on its own, learn your schedule and adjust accordingly.
Since smart thermostats are connected to the web, it can keep an accurate account of the temperature of your home throughout the month. At the end of each month, you can see when you're using the most energy and adjust your habits to conserve more and lower your bill over time. When you're aware of what's going on in your home, you have the power to change things.
