Tax return season has rolled around once again, leaving many people questioning what they should do with the refund they are expecting to start the year. There are major savings to be made when using a programmable, Wi-Fi-enabled thermostat to operate the heating and cooling system in any property. Even without the benefits of smart technology, the Department of Energy reports lowering a thermostat between seven and ten degrees for eight hours per day lowers a power bill by as much as ten percent.
Saving Energy Made Easy
One of the main benefits of using a smart thermostat is the link to a dedicated app installed on a cell phone, tablet, or laptop. Not only does a smart thermostat app track the energy usage of the user, but also provides easy-to-understand data regarding positive and negative energy use. A programmable thermostat app often provides awards linked to positive energy savings.
Access Anywhere
Users of smart thermostats are often shocked about the level of access available to them when this impressive technology is available. A smart thermostat allows access from anywhere a Wi-Fi connection is available, including at work, home, or on vacation. The days of a property owner forgetting to turn down their heating when leaving home are long gone with a smart thermostat.
Energy Star Adds More Options
The majority of thermostats offered throughout the U.S. and the developed world have been produced in compliance with the requirements of the Energy Star program. One of the major benefits of Energy Star-compliant products is their ability to enter sleep mode to save energy a short time after being used.
Using Geofencing
Linking a cell phone to a smart thermostat is a positive option for the majority of users who have the chance to us the positive geofencing technology now available. A geofence is a digital boundary which allows the thermostat to know when a resident’s phone is passing over the boundary to lower their heating when departing and raising it again when returning home passing the digital boundary.
Monitoring Operation
A problem facing homeowners when they do not have a smart thermostat is the inability to know when maintenance is required. Most apps include the ability to access maintenance reminders and reports of energy consumption. Being alerted to higher-than-average energy consumption is often a sign of a faulty HVAC system. With your smart thermostat, you’ll be alerted as to when to hire a professional to provide you with heating service.
Installing a smart thermostat is a positive way of using any tax return refund as savings can be generated throughout the year when installed by a professional. In most cases, the smart thermostat technology pays for itself in energy savings over the course of the first year. So, when you receive your tax refund, consider using it to install a smart thermostat in your home.
