What is the Right Thermostat for You?

We have had some bitter, bitter cold temps around the Delaware and Lehigh Valleys so far this winter. Over the course of the winter we have seen a roller coaster of temps, however. In fact, the 7-day forecast today shows a high in the teens in our area tomorrow, but also highs approaching 60 by the middle of next week. Huh?! So, how can homeowners expect to best manage energy consumption when temperatures fluctuate like this?

One option that homeowners have adopted for several years is a programmable thermostat. Folks have always had the option of installing a traditional thermostat which requires the user to manually set the system to heat/cool, on/off and adjust temperatures to their own comfort preferences. But, in the last few decades, consumers demanded more. Programmable thermostats enable users to set weekly/daily options for temperatures so that families can keep temps lower at night, for example. Others choose to keep the home temps lower during the day when the family is at work or school. Programmable units save homeowners a lot of money on bills when used, however studies have shown that many owners actually never bother to apply scheduled settings.

A new option in the industry is the smart thermostat. There are all sorts of smart home technologies on the market these days and the comfort industry has stayed on the cutting edge. The differences between a smart thermostat and a standard programmable unit are many. First, a smart thermostat can sync up with wifi. Users can control the unity from phones and tablets even when out of the home. Furthermore, the unit often learns the patterns of the home, noting when people are routinely out of the home, and changing settings accordingly.

If you have questions about which may be the best choice for your home, ask a Mauger, Plotts’ or Aabbots comfort pro for advice.