One of the best ways to reduce your heating bill this winter is to have a Smart Thermostat installed into your home. Today, most smart thermostats are Energy Star-certified, meaning that  they’re proven to save energy used by your HVAC system more than other thermostats. 

Less energy used equals a lower heating bill. While older, programmable thermostats are actually starting to lose Energy Star credentials, smart thermostats are improving all the time. Studies can vary, but it is estimated that smart thermostats can save up to 12 percent on your heating bill. Over the course of a winter season this can equal hundreds of dollars, and sometimes even thousands! 

Smart thermostats will start the job just like any other thermostat in cold weather. They measure the temperature in your home, and when the temperature drops below the point you set it for, the thermostat turns the heater on, bringing the temperature back up to what you set it for.

That's where the similarities end. For instance, you can hook up your smart thermostat to your phone, computer or tablet, and control your heater from there! Imagine turning the heat up while you are laying under some blankets on the couch. That's the easy life. 

A smart thermostat will also learn to program itself to adjust to the way you live. You don’t have to get up and change the temperature every time the weather changes. This adds a layer of ease you won't find with a traditional thermostat.

These features are great for comfort, but here’s how smart thermostats work to save you money on your heating bill:

Smart thermostats measure, monitor, and adjust your energy use

The goal of a smart thermostat is to measure how you like your home to feel, and then use the least amount of energy possible to achieve this level of comfort! The way it does this is through monitoring your energy use, measuring different factors such as times of day, days of the week, temperatures outside etc., and adjusting your energy use accordingly. 

When it comes to accuracy, smart thermostats have come a long way compared to the old, manual thermostats. Those used mercury in small glass vials inside the unit to measure the temperature. Later, digital thermostats began using electronic sensors. One of the problems was the unit being in one spot of the house. How could every room be measured? 

Today’s smart thermostats take that idea even further. They use more sensitive and accurate electronics. Some even have sensors in various areas of the house, rather than just in one spot like older models. 

Along with getting better readings, they gather different kinds of information. Smart thermostats measure the temperature both inside and outside the house, as well as factoring in humidity, which can be the most uncomfortable aspect of your home at times. 

What really sets the smart thermostats apart is that they program themselves to work best. Along with adjusting automatically, they also learn to adjust to your lifestyle. If you like the house warmer at night, it will turn up the heat. If you leave the house for long periods of time, it can account for that. Over time, it learns your patterns, even if it’s not a regular nine-to-five schedule.

Most smart thermostats use motion sensors to figure out when you’re there. If you don’t make any movement within 150 feet of it for a while, it starts to lower the temperature. It can also go into a low-power standby mode to save energy, a lot like a computer putting up a screensaver. 

Some models also use your smart phone’s geofencing to tell where you are. The smart thermostat considers you out of the house when your smart phone is out the range you set. That can be anywhere from 500 feet to seven miles.  One cool feature is that once your phone is sensed by your system, it can kick the system on to be ready when you arrive home. 

The more it tracks, the more the smart thermostat can anticipate your needs. By adjusting accordingly, it uses less energy to heat your home. And, that means a lower heating bill.

Smart thermostats program and adjust themselves

Programmable thermostats were supposed to be a great way to help you lower your heating bill. But, they didn’t quite work out the way they should have. Smart thermostats, however, are much better at saving you money in the cold weather.

With those older programmable models, you guess about when to raise or lower the temperature. Then you program the thermostat manually — if you can figure out how.

But, not every day is the same. Maybe you leave earlier on Tuesdays or come home later on Thursdays. You probably have a completely different schedule on the weekends. And of course the weather is constantly changing from day to day. 

The reality is, most programmable thermostats don’t actually ever get programmed. The owner either doesn't know exactly how to do it, or have the knowledge and time to plan out the program for your home. A lot of home owners would simply forget to program them as well. 

A smart thermostat doesn't need you to constantly play with the temperature! Once you install it and turn it on, the smart thermostat tracks all that information by itself. They shut off your system on their own when people aren’t home, and even learn to target only rooms that are most commonly occupied.

All those careful adjustments add up to a more comfortable home, with less energy use. It’s like you have a personal assistant who sits by your thermostat all the time and dials up the exact actions needed to make your home comfortable, and save you some money!

The convenience of smart thermostats helps you save money

By hooking up with your electronic devices, you can check in on your home, and even make adjustments to the system from anywhere. That access goes a long way in saving money on your heating bill. We helped a second homeowner who spent time in Florida out by installing a smart thermostat in his South Jersey shore home. Now he can check on the energy he's using up north, and make sure his system doesn't kick on when it isn't needed! 

Already, your smart thermostat is doing a better job of managing the heat in your home than an old programmable model. It knows how you like the house to feel at different time, and now, by using your smartphone or tablet, you can even account for changes in your schedule.

If you’re going to be home later than usual, you can use an app on your phone to adjust the thermostat so the house is nice and cozy when you get home. Much better than walking into a frigid house and having to wait for the heat to kick up.

You also don’t need to worry if you forget to adjust your temperatures if you go away for a while. With a smart thermostat, you can adjust it from your phone or tablet whenever you want, like our second homeowner in Florida did in the story above. 

Smart thermostats also compile data and produce reports about your energy usage. This way, you can see when you’re using the most energy and how much it’s costing. From there, you can track changes and see if you can make any improvements.

Maybe you’re using more energy this year than last year even though the weather is about the same. Perhaps it’s time to get your heater serviced to ensure it’s running efficiently. Or, you can try out some simple DIY projects to conserve energy and track how effective they are.

There are some simple steps you can take to save money on your heating bill. But, a smart thermostat can do most of the work for you.