Smart Thermostats Vs. Programmable Thermostats

What’s The Difference Between The Two?

If you think programmable thermostats and smart thermostats are one in the same—you’ve been mistaken! These thermostats are similar in that they make keeping your home comfortable easier while helping you save big on your heating and cooling costs; however, the differences are in technology, features, and price.

No matter which you ultimately choose—programming it properly you can save up to 10% a year on your heating and cooling costs!

Seasonal Thermostat Settings

Heating Season:

• When you’re home and awake, set the thermostat for 68°F.
• Lower temperatures by 10° for the hours you’re asleep or out of the house.

Cooling Season:

• When you’re home and awake, set the thermostat on the air conditioning to 78°F.
• Shut off the A/C or program it to turn off during the hours you’re out of the house.

Programmable Thermostats For Your Home

Before programmable thermostats came along in the 1980s, the only choice you had in thermostats was whether it was round or rectangle. And the only way to control them was to walk over and manually change the temperature.

Programmable thermostats made taking control of your home’s heating and cooling simple. Like a slow cooker, you could set it and forget it.

You can set your thermostat to a higher temperature in the summer and a lower temperature in the winter while you’re away during the day and have it back to your desired temperature when you get home.

People with programmable thermostats love that there are no more worries about forgetting to turn the thermostat down before they leave or waiting for the house to get comfortable after they return home. Some newer models even allow you to have multiple programs, so you can have a setting for when you’re away on vacation or you know you’ll have additional company over the weekend.

Smart Thermostats For Your Home

Smart thermostats can easily do everything a programmable thermostat does–and so much more!

Because a smart thermostat is connected to your home’s WiFi, you can program your thermostat from anywhere you can get a wireless signal. Getting away for a long weekend? You can go on the app for your smart thermostat before you leave the hotel and program the heating or A/C so your home’s comfortable when you get there.

Some smart thermostats also help track your energy usage. You can use this information to better program your thermostat to save even more on energy costs.

Another way these thermostats are smart is that they can actively learn your family’s habits—as well as your heating and cooling preferences—and adjust the thermostat settings accordingly in real time!

There are even models of smart thermostats that let you know when your HVAC equipment may need maintenance or service.

Smart thermostats can be found at your local hardware or home improvement store, or online at retailers such as Home Depot or Amazon. They’re reasonably priced but can be more expensive than programmable thermostats, but, like those, you’ll get return on your investment from day one with your energy savings!

When it comes to energy efficiency—you simply can’t beat propane for home heating! Become an Advanced Propane customer today and let us show you how we can keep you comfortable all year long!