GoKawiilAt CNET, we've been testing smart thermostats for years, so it's always a little surprising to hear, "What's a smart thermostat?" But only a fraction of American households, around 17%, actually use smart thermostats. That's too bad, because they're one of my favorite smart home innovations, and offer handy advantages for almost everyone.
So, what's the difference, aside from flashy new touchscreen designs? I'll take you through what's new with these thermostats and how your heating and cooling will never be the same (neither will your energy bills).
Scheduled heating and cooling
Thermostats like Ecobee's allow for easier scheduling from a distance. Ecobee
Both smart and traditional thermostats have programmable settings, letting you set temperature thresholds for specific hours and specific days of the week, and changing them as seasons change. The biggest difference is that smart thermostats make this much easier.
With old programmable thermostats, you're mostly stuck doing programming with the thermostats' manual controls. Smart thermostats allow you to set schedules from the app, no matter where you are, and you can usually save and switch between schedules on the fly, making the process significantly smoother.
Read more: Don't Put Your Thermostat In These Places
Costs
You can find a standard programmable thermostat without any bells and whistles for under $20 from brands like Honeywell Home (although those with fancy touchscreens will cost more), so they're an easy way to save money if you need a replacement. Smart thermostats, with all their added features, cost significantly more. Amazon has one of the cheapest for under $100, but for something like Nest's 4th-gen Learning Thermostat, you'll have to pay close to $300.
If you're worried about initial costs, regular thermostats cost a whole lot less than smart thermostats. Honeywell Home
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