Updated on August 18, 2025
Homeowners frequently ask our HVAC technicians which upgrades offer the best bang for the buck. The one we almost always recommend is a smart thermostat. Smart thermostats are among the most cost-effective HVAC upgrades, and they’re nearly always compatible with modern and older systems. Whether for heating or cooling your home, here is why you should look at a smart thermostat if you want a quick way to optimize your HVAC’s energy savings.
Scheduling
Smart thermostats are a subtype of programmable thermostats, and both variants offer scheduling. The ability to schedule when your heating and cooling system is most heavily used is critical to energy efficiency. You can program your smart thermostat to operate less when you’re not around. If you’re going on vacation in the winter, for example, the smart thermostat can keep the temperature high enough to prevent pipes from freezing. At the same time, it can also keep the temperature down while there’s no one present to require the additional comfort.
Control
Most models of smart thermostats include smartphone accessibility. This allows you to change the settings from anywhere. If you forgot to turn the temperature down before you went to bed, you can pull up the app and address the problem without even getting out of bed.
Occupancy Sensing
Some smart thermostats also support occupancy sensing. Integrating the smart thermostat with occupancy sensors allows the system to know how many people are present. Perhaps you want to have a party on a hot summer day. Occupancy sensing can determine how many people are present and then bump up the air conditioning to keep them all comfortable.
Geofencing
A similar solution is geofencing. In this case, a simpler system detects how far you are from the house. You might program it to kick the heating up in the winter when you pull your car into the garage. The geofencing system will detect when you get home and begin a cycle. You get to enter a comfortable home. Especially if you’ve programmed your smart thermostat to keep levels more efficient when you’re gone, geofencing is a good way to let it know that it’s time to return to normal operation.
AI
Some smart thermostats also support AI to learn your household’s usage patterns. Typically, an AI needs to gather a few weeks of normal usage data to detect patterns. Over that period, the AI might notice that you always turn the AC down in most of the house but turn it up in your bedroom before you go to sleep.
After learning your patterns, the AI will automatically adjust the thermostat settings. Taking the human element out of the process is great for energy efficiency because it reduces the risk of forgetfulness.
Predictive Maintenance
HVACs that don’t receive regular maintenance tend to run about 10% less efficiently. This compounds with each year of neglect. Also, neglect increases the risk that a catastrophic component failure will occur.
One of the best ways to improve energy efficiency is to request HVAC maintenance before problems get out of hand. For example, an AC system might show signs of a failing compressor. These can be very subtle in the early days of a failure. However, some smart thermostats track performance and can tell when components are starting to struggle. Your thermostat can send you an alert telling you that it’s time to schedule maintenance.
Predictive maintenance systems also track system history. Alerts can cover everything from telling you to replace filters to having one of our HVAC technicians lubricate the moving parts in the system.
Utility Pricing Integration
Utility companies are increasingly offering pricing programs that integrate with many smart thermostat models. The utility’s servers feed pricing and demand data to your thermostat. In turn, your thermostat can reduce usage during times of high prices and demand. These programs typically offer rebates or reduced rates as incentives for participation. Consult with your utility company to find out what it might offer.
Enhance Your Comfort
Comfort Solutions HVAC is a locally-based and family-owned business that puts customers’ comfort and interests first. We work on a variety of heating and cooling systems, and our technicians can quickly find a smart thermostat that will work well with the one in your house. Customers can take advantage of same- or next-day scheduling for most projects. We also offer 24/7 emergency services. Our pricing is competitive, too.
If you’re ready to take advantage of the many features of a smart thermostat in your Easton, PA home, contact Comfort Solutions HVAC today.
