Is a smart thermostat worth it?

You may have heard about smart thermostats, which many people see as a innovative new way of managing your heating. Here’s a short guide to these items if you need help deciding if it’s worth getting one.

First, smart thermostats shouldn’t be confused with smart meters, which represent a more advanced way of monitoring your energy usage. You don’t need a smart meter to have a smart thermostat, although some models may integrate with them to present data about things like heating costs.

In essence, a smart thermostat is an internet-enabled version of a traditional thermostat. This means you can use a smartphone or home device like an Amazon Echo or Google Home to control your heating from not just anywhere in the house, but also wherever you have an internet connection.

Now, why is this useful and will it save you money? While being able to control your heating from anywhere in the house is convenient, a smart thermostat will only save you money if you have an irregular routine when you’re away from home. This means you can have your heating turned off, or on low, while you’re out and about (at work for example) and you only turn it on once you’re on your way home, thus saving energy. If you have a more fixed routine, you won’t achieve any savings through a smart thermostat over using a basic programmable option to set your heating around your schedule, although you may still want one for the convenience aspect.

If you’re looking to improve your heating system, Xgas can send a gas engineer to Chester and other nearby areas in Cheshire and North Wales, so get in touch to discuss your needs.

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