A device that keeps the temperature in your home as cool or as warm as you like while saving you money and minimizing wasted energy: the question isn’t whether you should get a smart thermostat, but why you don’t have one already. And with energy prices now going through the roof, it’s a good idea to get the lowdown on the best smart home thermostats out there.
The advantages of investing in a smart thermostat
Smart thermostats offer three key advantages over their non-smart counterparts. First up is their intelligence: as a smart device, a digital thermostat can learn your day-to-day routines and establish heating and cooling schedules that it follows depending on whether the house is occupied or empty. This plays into the second benefit, which is that a smart thermostat will save you money on your energy bills by, for example, switching off your heating system when you aren’t home, adapting the temperature based on weather patterns, or suggesting which temperature is optimal. This is especially relevant at present, given the fact that electricity costs are skyrocketing with no end in sight. The final major advantage is that by continually optimizing the temperature in your home, a smart thermostat minimizes wasted energy—good for your wallet, certainly, but also essential for the planet.
How does a remote-control thermostat work?
Imagine that you’re walking home on a winter’s night. There’s a chill in the air and snow on the ground, and all you want to do is come home to a warm house. Now you can: a smart thermostat can be controlled remotely via an app on your smartphone, so you can set your heating to the perfect temperature for when you step through the front door. The Google Nest Thermostat goes one better: not only can you control it over the Google Home app, but it uses a sensor to track your phone’s location to confirm you’ve left the house. Futuristic enough for you?
Installing a smart thermostat
From Ecobee to Google, the best smart home thermostats are simple to install. The Google Nest Thermostat, for example, takes around 20 to 30 minutes to set up, after which you’re good to go. The first step is to turn off your power, go to your existing thermostat, remove it, attach the base of your new smart thermostat, and connect the wires. Then attach the display, switch the power back on, and configure the smart thermostat after it boots up. The built-in WiFi allows you to connect it to your home network, so you can control it via app and receive over-the-air updates.
Why the Google Nest Thermostat is a super smart thermostat
Heating and cooling management, simple installation, and compatibility with digital assistants: the Google Nest Thermostat packs a lot into its puck-shaped body. In terms of power, you can run a single line through your wall or simply rely on two AAA batteries to run the show. Turn the outer ring to set the temperature or control it remotely with Nest, Google Home, Alexa, or Google Assistant via voice command. Its auto-away mode means the thermostat will set itself to an eco-friendly temperature when you are not at home, and it comes with multi-zone control for if you only want to heat certain rooms. The Energy-Star-certified wireless thermostat is so geared towards minimizing waste that its body is made of recycled materials, too.
Give a smart thermostat a try with Grover
Want to see how a smart thermostat can change your home living situation for the better? At Grover, you can rent a Google Nest Thermostat for a low monthly fee and install it yourself with ease. Free shipping and returns are included, as is a purchase option, and the thermostat is covered by our Grover Care policy, which covers 90% of repair costs if the thermostat accidentally becomes damaged. Start saving money and energy today the easy way.