Smart Thermostat Rebates

What is a smart thermostat and why should I choose one?

For the average American household, almost half the annual energy bill goes to heating and cooling – more than $900 a year. Being smart about how you control your temperature settings will help you save money and stay comfortable in your home.

What is the difference between a smart thermostat and a programmable thermostat? 

Programmable thermostats require user programming that is static until manually adjusted. Based on the latest research, homeowners generally don’t understand how programmable thermostats work and may not program them at all, which can lead to higher utility bills. Smart thermostats, by contrast, are designed to learn user preferences and/or automatically adjust settings based on occupancy and indoor and outdoor temperature. 

What is the difference between an ENERGY STAR smart thermostat and other smart thermostats? 

To earn the ENERGY STAR, smart thermostats must demonstrate annual savings based on installations in homes across the United States. This ensures that savings claims are based on real-world data and user interaction with the product, something lacking in previous efforts to recognize thermostat efficiency. In addition, ENERGY STAR smart thermostats are independently certified by EPA-recognized certification bodies.

Why choose an ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostat model?

A smart thermostat lets you control your home’s heating and cooling temperature settings from your smart device (phone, tablet, or computer). It uses a wireless connection, which allows you to control your home’s temperature and other features through an app.

What features should be considered when choosing a smart thermostat?

Each smart thermostat uses slightly different features to help homeowners save energy, so do your research, and choose the ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostat that's right for you.

• Learning capabilities: Learns and adapts to your routine and your temperature preferences and automatically establishes a schedule that adjusts to energy-saving temperatures when you are asleep or away.

• Geofencing: With your permission, your smart thermostat may use the app on your phone to detect when you are away or at home. When you leave the house and travel outside of a certain distance, the smart thermostat will lower the temperature (if in heat mode) or raise the temperature (if in cool mode). When you’re on your way home, the smart thermostat can automatically adjust your home’s temperature to your liking, so you arrive to a comfortable temperature.

• Vacation mode: Lets the thermostat know when you will be gone from your home for longer periods of time to manage the temperature, avoiding frozen pipes in the winter and extreme heat in the summer.

• Automatic updates: Updates software periodically to ensure it uses the latest algorithms and energy-saving features available.

• Sensors: Helps to manage extreme temperature differences in a home through either temperature or occupancy sensing technology.
  • Temperature sensors work in single zone homes (meaning you have one HVAC system controlling the whole house) to monitor rooms with differing temperatures due to lack of insulation, sun exposure, etc. Sensors allow the smart thermostat to adjust the overall temperature to manage hot and cold spots, especially critical in larger homes.
  • Occupancy sensors work to determine which rooms are the most high-traffic and prioritize managing their temperature, without sacrificing comfort in the rest of the house.

• Voice assistant integration: Some smart thermostats are compatible with popular voice assistant programs, meaning you can simply ask the thermostat to turn the temperature up or down a few degrees, among other things.

• Music streaming: Some smart thermostats contain a speaker that let you stream music right from your thermostat.