705-794-5176April 8th, 2014
Perhaps you have heard about the benefits of upgrading your thermostat to a programmable one in order to save on energy costs, but before you do have you heard about new Smart Thermostats? Or maybe you have and your wondering if they are right for you and your home. Before you make your decision, get to know the new age of thermostats.
Much like smartphones, thermostats have made leaps and bounds in their technology over the past decade and new technology based thermostats are now called smart thermostats. The original function of them to control your home's tempature still remains - that is just a table stake - now its all about the wow features of remote access, appearance and other added features. If you are considering one, here are our top five reasons we love smart thermostats:
Appearance - That square, white rectangular box we have all come to deal with as part of our home decor has gotten a makeover. Brands like Nest come in modern, rounded shapes and include digital screens with colours that not only identify if the system is running hot or cold (red for hot, blue to cool) but also add to your home's overall decor
WiFi Capability - No longer do you need to stand at the wall pushing a combination of buttons in order to program your thermostat, now you can access it from your iPhone or iPad anywhere, anytime
Personalization - Like any relationship over time you get to know each other and anticipate routines and behaviours, although the courting process is probably much shorter in this one! From the day of installation the new smart thermostats begin to sense the environment around them and routines and over the next few days will begin to program themselves. So if you turn the thermostat down before work and bed, and turn it up during the hours of 5pm-10pm, they will recognize these patterns and program accordingly. You still have the ability to mannually adjust, but the longer you own the thermostat the more in tune the system becomes to your home's needs.
Save while your away - Many of the smart thermostats feature an away mode that adjusts the tempature to a lower engergy efficient one while you are away. Even if you forget to set this mode before you leave, the thermostat will sense the level of activity and automatically switch to this mode after a period of time
Keep more money in your pocket - as of April 1, 2014 Enbridge rates have increased by 40%, for the majority of us who do not have a programmable thermostat or rarely program the thermostats we do have, a smart thermostat will do the job for you, saving you time and keeping your hard earned money where it should be, in your pocket.
