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Making Smart Choices: The Benefits of Installing a WiFi Thermostat

Jan 29, 2021

The twenty-first century is all about data and connectivity, and you can make the most of both when it comes to controlling the indoor climate of your home by installing a WIFI thermostat! 

Johnson Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing: Your Partner in Home Comfort

Electric thermostat to save money and energy

We’ve been meeting the plumbing, heating, cooling, and HVAC needs of the central Indiana homeowner since 1968. Yes, we’ve seen pretty amazing changes across society in the decades since then, and we’ve had to change and adapt along the way. We stay up-to-date on the latest technologies and gadgets that make home life even more convenient and comfortable. When it’s time for you to upgrade any of the heating, cooling, or plumbing systems in your home, we’re here to help—and you’ll always get service with a smile from Johnson HCP! Give us a call at 317-881-7738 to make an appointment for your next home heating, cooling, or plumbing challenge.

How Thermostats Have Changed Over the Years

What kind of thermostat do you have in your household to control the indoor temperature? There are many varieties of old-fashioned thermostats where you physically turn a manual dial or slide a small lever to set the desired temperature in your home during the winter. The thermostat has a thermometer inside it that measures the air temperature, and once the desired temperature is reached, it automatically signals the furnace to turn off, and vice versa when the temperature dips below the temperature setting. In homes with “central air” (HVAC) systems that provide both heat and air conditioning, the thermostat is used to control the indoor temperature of the household all year long. 

Thermostat innovation eventually resulted in programmable thermostats where you could set up multiple timeframes where the temperature setting is adjusted based on when you’re not home and don’t need the home to be at the same temperature as when you’re there. This innovation was important in terms of making energy conservation much easier to achieve. 

But now it’s time for programmable thermostats to move over because the latest innovation is truly smart (internet-connected) WIFI thermostats! Just like other smart appliances you may have in your home (refrigerator, household security system, speakers, and many others), the smart thermostat is internet-connected via WIFI, and the benefits of installing a WIFI thermostat are ones any homeowner will love.

Remote Operation of Your WIFI Thermostat for Precision Comfort Control

To explain one of the most convenient benefits of installing a WIFI thermostat, imagine this scenario: You have a programmable thermostat and it’s set up during the winter to let the temperature of your house drop while you’re at work, and it heats back up in time for when you usually get home. But let’s say something happens in the middle of your day—maybe you suddenly don’t feel well, or you have to pick up a child from school because they aren’t feeling well. You’re going to arrive to a cold home because that’s the way you programmed it. But with a WIFI thermostat and an app on your mobile devices (such as a phone, tablet, or laptop), you could reset the thermostat before you leave the office and come home to a nice warm house when you need it most. See the difference? A programmable thermostat is great, but a WIFI thermostat is even better so you can make adjustments whenever and from wherever you need to so your home is always ready for your arrival regardless of what the weather is doing!

Using a Smart WIFI Thermostat to Save Energy

Like a programmable thermostat, a WIFI thermostat lets you set up a schedule to have your home be less warm in the winter or less cool in the summer when you’re not around, which means significant savings on energy costs, which is good for both your wallet and the environment. How much money can you save with a smart thermostat? It’s going to vary, obviously, depending on how much you’re away from home so you can dial back the heating and/or cooling. But here are a few estimates from different brands of these incredibly handy devices:

  • Nest Labs: Saves 10–12% on heating costs and 15% on cooling costs.
  • EcoBee: Combined heating/cooling savings of up to 23%.
  • Honeywell: Saves 10% on heating costs and 8% on cooling costs.
  • Emerson/Sensi: Saves 23% on HVAC energy usage. 
  • Bosch: No specific claims around the amount of savings.

While those may not seem like significant numbers, those slightly smaller energy bills add up over time thanks to a simple energy-saving device that helps manage your heating system and/or your cooling system to save you some of your hard-earned money! Generally speaking, the United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates most consumers can save around $180 a year on their energy bills by using an internet-connected thermostat. These energy and money savings are one of the best benefits of installing a WIFI thermostat.

Managing Energy Usage with a Smart Thermostat

The beauty of the internet and smart appliances is how they can collect and present data you wouldn’t otherwise be able to easily access. And life in the digital era of the twenty-first century is all about making data-driven decisions. As any good manager will tell you, it’s impossible to manage something if you’re not measuring it. A good WIFI thermostat will track and report your energy usage related to indoor climate control. This will help you identify patterns and trends over time and make further adjustments to up your savings even more. Any smart thermostat you consider should carry the Energy Star rating from the EPA.

How Smart is a Smart Thermostat?

You’d be surprised how smart these devices really are, which means you don’t have too much thought into figuring anything out at all. Many of these devices include movement or motion detectors so they can tell when people are home, and the best of them even incorporate a learning function. The thermostat will learn the general shape of your household schedule and make adjustments accordingly to your heating/cooling schedule. They can also automatically account for seasonal adjustments along the way. Now that’s smart!

If you’d like to have a smart WIFI thermostat installed at your home, give Johnson Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing a call at 317-881-7738 and we’ll be happy to get the job done for you!

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