Are Smart Thermostats Worth Buying?

Are Smart Thermostats Worth Buying?

A typical Canadian household consumes about 11,135 kWh of electricity per year according to Energyrates.ca. In Ontario, the figure is just slightly lower at an average of 9,500 kWh of electricity usage per household each year.

HVAC expert, Morconnect, explains that a significant percentage of the energy consumption of Canadian households goes to heating and cooling their homes.

This is one of the main reasons why many homeowners are looking for ways on how to reduce their heating and cooling costs.

Table of Contents

• Analog vs Smart Thermostat
• Can a Smart Thermostat Reduce Your Bills?
• Helping the environment
• Should You Buy It?

Analog vs Smart Thermostat

There’s been a lot of buzz ever since smart thermostats entered the Canadian market.

They claim to reduce your electric bills and promise to make your home more energy-efficient. But the question is, are smart thermostats really worth it?

Unlike analog thermostats, which need to be manually adjusted every time you wish to change the room’s temperature. Smart thermostats can be programmed with varying levels of temperature throughout the day, without ever needing to touch the device after it’s been set.

Smart thermostats are often controlled via phone, tablet, smart speaker, and other internet-connected devices.

Once you input the desired temperature into an app, the settings will be transmitted through your Wi-Fi network and then instructs your HVAC system to adjust the temperature accordingly.

Meanwhile, if you are using a smart speaker like Google Home, you simply need to use your voice to set your desired room temperature and you are good to go.

Morconnect asserts that there are a number of benefits to using smart thermostats.

Can a Smart Thermostat Reduce Your Bills?

First and foremost, they help in minimizing energy costs. In fact, a recent study from one of the leading smart thermostat brands,

Nest found out that their device can contribute to a savings of about 10%-12% of heating usage and electric savings of approximately 15% of cooling usage in homes with centralized air conditioning systems.

Meanwhile, a prior Nest analysis also estimated savings of up to 20% when their devices are utilized for industrial use.

Another advantage of using a smart thermostat is its ability to learn your cooling and heating preferences.

Some devices can detect the temperature in a room by themselves and adjust it based on your preferred comfort level. Thermostats with Geofencing features also automatically turn your heating and cooling system on and off when people enter or leave a room.

Using smart thermostats also allows you to better monitor your home’s HVAC system. In fact, most smart thermostats are installed with features that will alert you if it’s time to perform your routine maintenance.

On the mobile app, you can also track your energy usage which enables you to see your heating and cooling patterns and make necessary adjustments when needed.

Helping the environment

Furthermore, smart thermostats can help to protect the environment by minimizing carbon emissions.

In addition to saving money, using a smart thermostat can improve air quality, reduce air pollution, and help in protecting our planet against global warming and climate change.

In fact, according to Taf.ca, “Installing smart thermostats across the estimated 1.18M gas-heated apartment units in Ontario could result in 165–219 million m3 of annual natural gas savings. Smart thermostat retrofits could also result in 310,000–412,000 tonnes of CO2eq reductions annually.”

Some of the most trusted brands and manufacturers of smart thermostats in the market include Ecobee, Nest, Honeywell, Bosch, and more. However, it is highly recommended to seek professional help when choosing a smart thermostat for your home.

Aside from giving valuable advice before purchasing a smart thermostat, HVAC experts like the ones at Morconnect can also help you when it comes to installing your new device.

Should You Buy It?

Smart thermostats are designed for smart and modern houses. In addition to cost savings, they work efficiently in making your life even more easier. If you are a busy person and a tech-savvy who enjoys automation, then you should absolutely add a smart thermostat on your “must-have” list.