With cold weather around the corner, it’s time to brace for higher energy costs. Beyond improving insulation or upgrading the heating system itself, one can dramatically improve energy costs and property value by upgrading one crucial item: the thermostat. While this may sound menial, new technology that manages your heating system can dramatically decrease the total cost of one’s energy bill. Thanks to advancements in wireless technology, these systems can use both Android and Apple smartphones to control your thermostat, memorize your daily schedule, and respond to commands all for less than $200. The return in energy costs and investment in your home, however, far exceeds the initial cost of adopting this new technology.
Nest Thermostat
One of the most popular options for wireless thermostat controls, Nest offers a seamless, attractive interface to control your air conditioning. The circular display uses a circular wheel to control the monitor, but it the real value comes with iPhone and Android integration. Applications are available for both types of devices, and it’s fairly easy to build a schedule on the Nest thermostat itself or on a smartphone. The biggest obstacle for Nest currently is that, like many other smart home devices, it has yet to adopt Apple’s HomeKit software.
A big advantage that Nest offers is its ability to ‘learn’ your schedule. Based on average behaviors, Nest takes note of when you turn on or off the heating system. From this information, it then regulates this average behavior and creates a schedule. There’s also some helpful features that could save you a lot of money in the case of an emergency. If your heating breaks and your home’s temperature declines to a point where pipes could freeze, then you will receive an automatic alert on your phone.
More information is available on Nest’s website here.
EcoBee3
An alternative to Nest, EcoBee3 is a similar device that can connect to your existing thermostat connection, although installation can vary depending on how your current panel was installed. Unlike the Nest device, the EcoBee3 features Apple’s HomeKit support. Essentially, the biggest current advantage is that by simply telling Siri “I’m about to leave for work, set EcoBee to turn off,” then your thermostat will be set to turn off. As Apple does more to develop its HomeKit developer platform and Siri integration, more features will be added to the EcoBee and similar devices.
Installation is very non-invasive, and the EcoBee comes with some very helpful features built in. If you’re an iPhone owner, your device can create a ‘geofence’ around your home. Simply put, once you walk outside of your property, your phone will automatically command your EcoBee to turn off your thermostat. When you come back home, your system will be alerted and turn up the temperature again.
More information is available on their website here.
