Is a smart thermostat with geofencing technology worth the cost?
The ability to control most aspects of your day-to-day life, all from your smartphone, can be efficient and convenient while saving time and money. This can even apply to your home’s heating and cooling system.
Thermostats act as the brain of your HVAC system, detecting the temperature in your home and switching on the heating or cooling system to maintain your optimal temperature. Standard programmable thermostats can be manually set to adjust temperature settings at the same time every day but, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, most people don’t actually program them. The technology in smart thermostats solves that problem.
What is a smart thermostat?
A smart thermostat is a Wi-Fi enabled device that automatically adjusts the temperature settings in your home. You can control them with a phone, tablet, speaker or any other internet-connected device. According to energy.gov, turning your thermostat back 7-10 degrees for 8 hours a day can save you up to 10% on your heating and cooling costs. Smart thermostats learn the patterns of your household and automatically adjust the heating and cooling levels accordingly. That means your home can be set to energy-saving temperatures while you are away or asleep without you having to program it.
A smart thermostat alone can save you money, but a smart thermostat with geofencing will do you one better.
Geofencing technology's money-saving benefits
Geofencing technology is used to create virtual boundaries around your home that are programmed upon installation. These boundaries create a "fence" specific to your property. The GPS and sensor features identify when people are home and will adjust the indoor temperature accordingly. Additionally, these sensors will begin to learn your habits, so the temperatures aren't shifting too drastically. Drastic temperature changes can strain your system and increase your energy usage. You can override the sensors to ensure that your home is warm when you get back, and your system will shift the temperature at a rate that is healthy for the system and will ultimately increase its lifespan. Many smart thermostats allow you to connect multiple smart devices to sync with the system so everyone who lives in your home can control the temperature around their schedule.
Is a smart thermostat with geofencing technology worth it?
For households with fluid schedules, geofencing features allow you to be more energy efficient without having to manually adjust or program your thermostat. Although, if you have a fairly consistent schedule and utilize the programming features on your thermostat, geofencing will not be as important. Also, some people prefer to turn off the GPS setting on their phone which voids the benefits of geofencing. Even if you do not utilize geofencing capabilities, smart thermostats offer other features some homeowners find interesting and helpful (such as data tracking). Each household differs, and knowing what options are available can help you make an educated decision for you and your family.
If you're interested in learning more about geofencing smart thermostats, please reach out to us!
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us, and we are happy to inspect your system to make sure it is working efficiently and effectively, as well as help you find the right thermostat for your needs.
Whether you need 24-7 emergency service or a solution to improve your indoor comfort—at home and work—call us at 781-224-2400 or submit a convenient contact form.
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