Replacing Your Thermostat? Check These Out First!
Every homeowner rightly jumps at the chance to save money and improve their home’s efficiency. One great way to do both (and make the home more eco-friendly to boot) is to replace that old, basic thermostat with a new smart thermostat. Smart thermostats are so named because they offer a range of dynamic, intelligent options for home comfort control and connect to smartphones, WiFi networks, and other devices for even greater control.
Smart thermostats help homeowners cut utility costs, and some can even do this automatically by tracking preferences and habits. Ultimately, smart thermostats are the future - but not every model will be appropriate for every home. So to make things easier, this article will outline three of the most highly-rated and best-selling smart thermostats on the market today.
The Honeywell Home T5+ Smart Thermostat
First up is Honeywell’s T5+ Smart Thermostat. This is a great thermostat for anyone who wants the key benefits of a smart thermostat without paying a fortune for many extra features. The T5+ is a WiFi thermostat, which means that once it’s connected to the home’s WiFi network, one can control it via smartphone on the easy-to-use Honeywell Home app.
It features Geofencing technology, which uses the homeowners’ smartphone location to determine whether anyone is home - it can even start getting things comfy when it senses that someone is getting close to home. Other features of the T5+ include automatic switching between heating and cooling modes, alerts for filter changes and extreme indoor temperatures, and voice control capabilities via Siri, Alexa, and other voice assistant systems. It doesn’t have a ton of features, but it’s still a fantastic and affordable option. Cost: ~$100.
The EcoBee SmartThermostat With Voice Control
- An occupancy sensor to help improve efficiency
- A wireless SmartSensor that can be placed in another room for better zone temperature control (it comes with one, but users can add more if they wish)
- Advanced humidity control
- Automatic mode switching
- Monthly energy usage reports
Some users find the thermostat itself a little large, and the initial investment is a little steep, but with so many great features and energy-saving capabilities, this thermostat is hard to beat. Cost: ~$250.
The Google Nest Learning Thermostat
The final thermostat on the list is the Nest Learning Thermostat from Google. Though it’s considerably more expensive than the T5+ and isn’t as packed with features as the EcoBee, this thermostat doesn’t mess around when it comes to saving energy. Part of the simple interface is a little green leaf icon that lights up when users select an energy-saving temperature setting to make going green even easier.
This thermostat even “learns” the household’s usage patterns and automatically adjusts the programmed schedule to better fit the family’s habits. Users can see their usage history for themselves on the thermostat interface or the Nest app on any of their devices. Other features include:
- Voice control capabilities
- Occupancy sensors to improve efficiency
- HVAC performance monitoring to alert homeowners of any potential problems with the unit
The price is a little hefty, and some users find the learning feature to be less than precise, but the potential energy savings are tremendous. Cost: ~$250.
About Tiger Temperature
Tiger Temperature has served Thibodaux, LA with pride for years. Their courteous licensed technicians always provide honest advice and answers and are well-versed in the latest HVAC and smart thermostat technology. Tiger Temperature also offers 24/7 emergency AC service and free second opinions.
