Vent: I thought those new smart thermostats were just for show

I was at my cousin's place in Austin last week and he had his Nest set to cool the house before we got back from a hike... I always thought that was a dumb feature, but walking into a 72-degree house after being in 100-degree heat totally changed my mind. It actually saves energy instead of just running the AC all day. Has anyone else tried a schedule like that and seen a real drop in their bill?

3 comments

3 Comments

blairwhite3mo ago

How could you not love that feeling? I was the same way until I tried a simple schedule for my water heater, and the savings were real. It's one of those things you have to feel to believe.

paige5142mo ago

That point about not heating an empty house is exactly it. We did the same with our AC last summer, letting the house get a bit warmer while we were at work. The bill drop was noticeable right away. It feels smart, like you're finally not wasting money for no reason. Once you see it work, you start looking for other stuff around the house to tweak.

norag553mo ago

Totally get it, my husband laughed when I got our Ecobee. Setting it to warm up the bedroom before our alarm goes off in a Chicago winter is a game changer. Our gas bill last January was thirty bucks lower than the year before. It just makes sense not to heat an empty house all day.