About 4% to 46% of households with internet access in the United States are expected to install a smart thermostat by 2050. This means that around 704 million homes would have a smart thermostat installed.
In return, this will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2.6 gigatons. It will also increase return on investment, allowing you to save $640 billion on electricity bills by 2050. (Source).
How Do Smart Thermostats Work?
Smart thermostats protect your environment by using sensors and algorithms that collect and analyze heating and cooling data. Even though you can still adjust the temperature manually, smart thermostats can recall choices and memorize your household’s energy use routine, thus reducing your carbon foot print.
Smart thermostats can learn your temperature preferences and guide you into becoming a more energy-efficient household. This allows them to reduce energy consumption at peak times of the day, lower electricity bill, and reduce carbon emissions into the environment.
How Does Reducing Our Heating and Cooling Costs Reduce Global Warming?
Since 2011, scientists have stated that human activities have influenced the environment by modifying the Earth’s atmosphere. Increased levels of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide collecting in the atmosphere and trapping heat have caused the seas and air to become warmer.
You know this as the greenhouse effect or climate change. Greenhouse gases remain in the Earth’s atmosphere for centuries. This causes the temperatures to continually increase.
However, you can decrease the global warming process by taking preventative measures that produce less greenhouse gases. One effective way to reduce greenhouse gases is to invest in a smart thermostat. (Source).
What Benefits Do Smart Thermostats Bring Us?
Smart thermostats can provide you with a plethora of benefits that work towards lowering your heating and cooling cost, which in return, benefits the environment as well as you. The following is a list of ways you will benefit from purchasing a smart thermostat for your home:
1. Learns Your Schedule
Smart thermostats can learn your schedule, making it easier for you to become more energy efficient. You can leave the task of increasing and decreasing the temperature of your home to it.
You can even control your heating and cooling unit with your mobile phone or another digital device.
You will need to download the manufacturer’s app on your digital devices. Some smart thermostats can even detect the presence of people, turning off automatically when no person is detected.
Since different smart thermostats may have different features, you need to choose based on which features are the most important to you.
2. Receive Email Notifications
Some smart thermostats send you email notifications to alert you if it detects a fault. For instance, you may receive an alert if the temperature of your home is increasing or decreasing outside the pre-determined range.
You will also receive an alert if the smart thermostat has become disconnected from its network due to a power outage.
3. Save Energy and Money
One of the primary reasons why you might decide to invest in a smart thermostat is because it can save you both energy and money. The amount of money you save depends on how long you keep your heating and cooling unit running.
You are expected to save between 12% to 25% on your electricity bill each month. (Source).
4. Track Energy Usage
A smart thermostat helps you track your energy usage. By knowing the amount of energy that you are using and the related costs of using it, you can adjust it to lower your electricity bill.
5. User-friendly Interface
You will not face any difficulty using the interface of the smart thermostat. Thanks to its modern screen designs, easy to use features, and apps, smart thermostats are easier to use than programmable thermostats.
Another user-friendly feature the smart thermostat may have is that it may be compatible with voice command technology such as Alexa by Amazon. Voice command technology allows you to control the temperature of the house using your voice.
For instance, you can say, “Alexa, increase the temperature to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.”
6. Monitor the Weather
Your smart thermostat can monitor the local weather reports of each day and make suitable changes to the temperature inside your home. This feature can also help you save money on your electricity bills.
How Much Does It Cost to Install a Smart Thermostat in Your Home?
If you want to give back to the environment, you can choose between two types of smart thermostats — one that learns your behavior automatically and adjusts the temperatures and the other that offers internet connectivity, so you can control it from your digital device via an app.
Regardless of the type of smart thermostat you are buying, it will cost you anywhere around $300 to $500. Since you will be saving money overtime, you will be compensated. But you should only install a smart thermostat if you will be living in your home for several years or you plan to take it with you when you move into another house.
According to the EPA’s Energy Star program, you can save up to $180 on heating and cooling costs each year. (Source).
2 Top Smart Thermostat to Buy
Start saving the environment by investing in the following smart thermostats:
[amazon link=”B08BZTPMW1″ title=”Ecobee Alexa-Enabled Thermostat with Sensor” /]
The Ecobee Alexa-enabled thermostat with sensor features a built-in Alexa voice command technology service. You can ask it to set the timer, read you the news, adjust the temperature of your home, and more.
Equipped with far-field voice technology, you can give commands from a distance.
It also has room sensors that help you manage the hot and cold areas of your home and ensure maximum comfort. You can adjust the temperature and comfort settings from any Apple or Android device.
The manufacturer claims that it can save you 23% on heating and cooling bills on average each year. You can install it yourself. The only drawback that they do not offer any warranty on the product.
[amazon link=”B07DS2KZSF” title=”Honeywell Lyric T5 Wi-Fi Thermostat” /]
Honeywell Lyric T5 Wi-Fi Thermostat works with Alexa, Amazon’s voice command technology. You can schedule the temperature for seven days or allow it to control the temperature based on location via GeoFencing.
Its adaptive recovery feature helps the smart thermostat learn the number of hours it takes to achieve the right temperature at certain times of the day and automatically turns your heating and cooling on to reach your preferred temperature. It will also help you maintain your heating and cooling unit by sending you push notifications, altering you when it is time to change the filter. There is no warranty for this product.
Conclusion
If you want to help the environment, you should invest in a smart thermostat. A smart thermostat can lower your heating and cooling costs, which lowers your energy costs because your system does not run unnecessarily.
You can choose from one of the two smart thermostats we have listed or perform your own research to determine the most energy-efficient one from the lot.
