abby_henderson•7d agoTop Commenter

Installed a smart thermostat last month and it paid for itself already

I dropped $150 on a smart thermostat for my apartment in Denver. It cut my heating bill by 30% in January alone which saved me about $60. The real win is how it adjusts itself when I leave for work or go to bed. I set it up to run the furnace less during peak cold hours and it still keeps the place warm. Anyone else seen big savings from a simple home upgrade like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

fiona_sullivan297d ago

I had a buddy in Chicago who went the opposite route and got a manual programmable thermostat instead of a smart one, and his savings were way less impressive. He kept forgetting to set the schedule, so it was basically running on default all winter. My in-laws have a smart thermostat like yours and they swear by it, but they also live in a tiny apartment where every degree matters. For me, the bigger win was insulating my attic with that spray foam stuff, my gas bill dropped more than I expected after that. Your mileage may vary on the thermostat savings, but I think location and how leaky your place is play a huge role.

the_miles7d ago

Solid point about the attic insulation, @fiona_sullivan29. I've seen the same thing with folks around here who complain about high bills but skip the simple fixes like sealing drafts or adding attic insulation. A smart thermostat is great, but it can't fix a house that's basically open to the outside.