In recent years, digital thermostats have become more and more popular. Every new home has one, and most older homes are getting them. They are excellent devices that put the power of climate control directly in your hands. We have all seen them displayed prominently on Amazon or at local Home Depots, but are digital thermostats worth it?

A programmable digital thermostat, as they are sometimes called, allows you to adjust the temperature of a home-based on programmed settings that you input. This can mean having certain house temperatures for certain times of the day. For example, when you go to bed, you can turn down the heat by as much as five degrees.

Since it is common for us to forget to do things like that because we are busy, you can program your digital thermostat to do it for you, every night, without fail, at midnight. You can even set it so that at 6 a.m. during the weekdays, it raises the temperature back up five degrees for when you get up. On weekends, it can be set to raise the temperature at 8 a.m. instead.

Benefits of a Digital Thermostat

There are several benefits to digital thermostats including:

  • A programmable thermostat allows you to adjust the temperature in the home based on your own habits. For example, you can have your temperature turned down from midnight to 6 a.m., then up to a comfortable level from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., then down while you are at work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and then up when you get home from 5 p.m. to midnight. This prevents the overworking of your furnace while you are not there.
  • You will pay more attention to a programmable thermostat because of its many features and the level of control you have over it.
  • With a dial thermostat, it can be difficult to know the exact temperature you have set it to since it is only an approximation. What you think is 21 degrees Celsius could, in fact, be 19 degrees Celsius, or 23 degrees Celsius.
  • According to Consumer Reports, it is possible to save as much as $180 per year using a digital thermostat.

Features of Digital Thermostats

There are several features of a digital thermostat that help to set it apart, including:

  • As has already been mentioned, you are able to set temperatures for a variety of periods of the day including morning, day, evening and night. You can also lock the temperature so that it cannot be adjusted.
  • You can have two different programs, one for the fall and winter when it is cold, and one that is for the spring and summer when it is warm.
  • You can be reminded by the thermostat that you have to change the filter on your furnace or central air unit.
  • Some digital thermostats can be Wi-Fi capable, allowing you to adjust your temperature from your phone, anywhere in the world.

Digital thermostats can be slightly more expensive, but with the savings you get on your energy bill, you can offset that cost within a few years. Digital thermostats are great if you want to have control of the climate of your home. So are digital thermostats worth it? Yes, they are.

If you have any questions about digital thermostats, we are your local experts. Learn more about comfort controls by clicking here or contact us today!