The “Nest Learning Thermostat” widely considered the first true smart thermostat available to everyday consumers, was introduced by Nest Labs in October 2011 and retailed at $249. While even then it wasn’t extraordinarily expensive, there were many lower-cost “dumb” thermostat options. The features were also still in their infancy and many people didn’t think the price was worth the benefits.

More than 10 years later there is lots of competition in the smart thermostat market, which has driven down prices on feature-rich devices. Smart thermostats are no longer the premium high-cost alternative – they’ve become the affordable norm of thermostat technology.

There’s Value in Convenience

Home automation can be affordably implemented in a number of ways thanks to a variety of devices that have made their way into homes – like Alexa or Google Assistant speakers.

If you’ve never had a smart thermostat, you might not realize they can be controlled via these devices. Instead of getting up on a cold morning and walking to the thermostat to turn up the heat, you can just tell Google to increase the furnace temperature to whatever you want from the comfort of your warm bed. (You can even give specific parameters like “increase the temperature by 15 percent” or “five degrees.”)

If you don’t trust those types of voice assistants in your home, you can use the smart thermostat’s accompanying mobile app to change the temperature with a few taps. The ability to adjust the thermostat from anywhere is a simple yet extraordinary modern convenience. Once you have it, you might start to wonder how you ever lived without it (if you don’t already use it).

Efficiency of Learning

What’s the difference between programming your schedule in a traditional thermostat and using the learning functionality of a smart thermostat? The smart thermostat “learns” your schedule and preferences over time and uses this information to create a customized temperature schedule tailored to your lifestyle, which means you don’t really need to program it after a week or two (it will continue learning and modifying its schedule based on the changes you make).

Adaptive scheduling: A learning thermostat observes your daily routines, such as when you wake up, leave for work, return home and go to bed. It then creates a temperature schedule that adjusts itself to match these routines, ensuring optimal comfort while minimizing energy consumption.

Energy-saving features: Learning thermostats often include features that help you save energy, such as Eco Mode or Away Mode, which automatically adjusts the temperature when you're not home to reduce energy usage.

Remote control and monitoring: Learning thermostats typically connect to your home's Wi-Fi network, allowing you to control and monitor your thermostat settings from anywhere using a smartphone, tablet or computer. This makes it easy to adjust the temperature when you're away from home or check on your energy usage.

Integration with smart home systems: Many learning thermostats can be integrated with other smart home devices and platforms, such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home or Apple HomeKit. This allows you to control your thermostat using voice commands or create automated routines that include other smart devices in your home.

Geofencing: Some learning thermostats offer geofencing capabilities, which use the location of your smartphone to determine whether you're at home or away. This allows the thermostat to automatically adjust the temperature based on your proximity to your home.

Usage reports and energy-saving tips: Many learning thermostats provide detailed energy usage reports and insights, helping you understand how your heating and cooling habits affect your energy consumption. They may also offer suggestions for optimizing your settings to save even more energy.

Will a Smart Thermostat Work with My Furnace, Air Conditioner or Heat Pump?

Learning thermostats are designed to work with a wide range of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, including conventional forced-air systems, heat pumps, radiant heating systems and more.

Are You Ready for a Better Thermostat?

Whether you have an older smart thermostat or you are still living with an old-fashioned programable or even analog thermostat, now’s a great time to upgrade. Home Air Services knows how to install smart thermostats to maximize their efficacy. Making use of all their features (especially unique integrations with newer HVAC systems) may require slightly more complex installation and wiring. We can ensure you get the most out of your smart thermostat with proper installation services.

Schedule your service today by calling us at (301) 585-8100.