How to Get the Most from Your Brand New Smart Thermostat

A smart thermostat represents an easy entry point into the world of home automation. Smart thermostats are fairly easy to use for anyone who is comfortable with using apps on a smartphone. However, getting the most from a smart thermostat starts with understanding how it works.

Market data suggests that consumers are warming up to the smart thermostat concept. In Europe and the United States alone, an estimated 37 million homes are already equipped with the devices. An estimated 1.45 billion will have smart thermostats by 2050.

Perhaps you already have a smart thermostat but have not advanced beyond simple programming. Here are some tips for getting the most out of the device:

1. Utilize the Companion App

If you are among those consumers who have installed a smart thermostat but only programmed it from the device’s on-board interface, you are not alone. Basic programming from the interface is fine. But consider this: the thermostat’s companion mobile app might give you access to more features. The app might also be easier to use than the on-board interface.

A typical smart thermostat app gives you access to regular programming. But you can also use the app to adjust temperatures remotely, monitor your regular energy usage, and even fine tune programming based on your daily routine.

2. Embrace Its Automation Capabilities

By definition, smart thermostats offer built-in automation capabilities. Those capabilities will vary by manufacturer and model. Regardless, take advantage of them. Automation is one of the primary reasons for getting into smart home technology.

Vivint Smart Home explains that smart thermostat automation starts with programming and goes from there. More advanced thermostats allow you to program the device just once, then leave it to learn your daily routine via data from other sensors. As it artificially learns, the thermostat can adjust its own programming to match your routine.

3. Integrate It With Other Sensors

Integrating a smart thermostat with a whole-house home automation system can yield fantastic results. A variety of other sensors can feed information to help a smart thermostat learn. Other sensors can feed information about rooms or spaces. With this type of information, you can address uneven heating or cooling by prioritizing different zones within your HVAC system.

4. Customize for the Seasons

Some smart thermostats already come preprogrammed to account for various seasons. If yours does, learn how to utilize this feature. Just by accounting for seasons, you can save quite a bit of money on both heating and air conditioning.

In the absence of such a feature, you can enter seasonal programming yourself. Just create different programs for different seasons. Set a reminder to activate the appropriate program with each new season.

5. Embrace Voice Control

Last but not least is my personal favorite: controlling your smart thermostat with your voice. Not all smart thermostats can be integrated with voice control, but many can. You will need either a companion app or a smart speaker compatible with your device. Any smart thermostat that works with a Google or Amazon smart speaker can probably be controlled by voice. Imagine uttering a verbal command to override the current programming or temporarily adjust the temperature.

Today’s smart thermostats are leaps and bounds ahead of your father’s programmable thermostat from the 1980s. Through a combination of remote access, advanced programming, artificial intelligence, and voice control, we can do things with smart thermostats that our parents and grandparents only dreamed of. If I were brand new to the smart home arena, I would not hesitate to make a smart thermostat my first device.