August 4, 2017
No more thinking about how to program your thermostat. Nest self-learning thermostats make it easy to save money and energy on heating and cooling costs by learning and adapting to your schedule automatically. It also shows you how energy is used in your home and sends cute cues to save even more.
According to a study cited by The Washington Post:
Out of 192 people surveyed, 42 percent of respondents said their thermostats were programmable — rather than manual — but many did not seem to know how to use them. 14 percent of those claiming to have programmable thermostats said they “do not know where the settings are” while another 25 percent said they “know where the settings are but [they] do not know how to change them.”
This is why the Nest learning thermostat is so important. People understandably get confused about the terms and functions of their thermostat, such as timed hold, permanent hold, away, and vacation. Sometimes, it’s even difficult to know how to switch it from cool to heat mode.
But it’s not the fault of consumers; it’s a design flaw. They are overly complicated and confusing.
Despite the significant savings that can be accomplished with programmable thermostats, the simple fact is that most people who have them aren’t using them properly.
For instance, a study conducted by Carrier found that 53% of programmable thermostats were in “hold” mode, which basically turns them into manual thermostats.
Heating and cooling accounts for around half of your home’s total energy expense (U.S. Dept. of Energy). Your thermostat is in charge of half of your energy bill. If you aren’t programming your thermostat properly, you could be spending around 10-20% more on heating and cooling without any increase in comfort.
In fact, there may be a decrease in comfort. While it’s easy enough to adjust your thermostat manually, a programmable thermostat allows you to return temperatures to normal before you arrive back home. A smart thermostat, such as Nest, allows you to control the temperature from anywhere in the world as long as you have your phone.
Unfortunately, it takes time and knowledge to program your thermostat. Nest gets rid of the difficulty of figuring out multiple setback settings, overrides, adjustments, and other “useful” features. While you are still able to program a schedule, Nest works by learning your preferences and constructs a schedule for you.
As new generations of the product come to market, (the company just released its 3rd generation model), homeowners should take a second look at the benefits of installing this beautiful and energy-efficient device.
The Nest website boasts that the Nest Learning Thermostat, “Programs itself. Then pays for itself.” The thermostat learns the comfort patterns of your family and within a week will function on that temperature schedule automatically.
Independent studies have shown that the Nest Thermostat saves homeowners about 10%-12% on heating and 15% on cooling. This translates to savings of about $140 per year.
The system also has an Eco Temperature setting that goes into effect when the Nest Thermostat senses you are no longer home. The Nest Thermostat connects to your phone and is able to gauge your location in order to best save energy when you’re away.
No more programming hassles. Nest learns the temperatures you like and programs itself.
Nest automatically turns off the AC a few minutes early, but keeps the fan running. The air stays cool but your AC runs up to 30% less.
A Leaf icon appears when you turn Nest to a temperature that’s energy efficient, a simple yet effective guide to more energy savings.
If the kids are coming home early, you can adjust the thermostat from your phone so that the home is already comfortable by the time they arrive. As long as you have your phone on you, you can change the temperature from anywhere.
Nest provides reports of your home energy use every day, available in Energy History. Every month, you will receive a Home Report. This will tell you when you use the most energy along with ideas for saving energy.
The 3rd generation Nest Learning Thermostat now comes in four colors to fit any style: copper, stainless steel, black, and white.
With thermostat rings from copper and steel to black and white, there’s a Nest Thermostat for every home.
When you walk in the room, the Nest Thermostat will light up to display the temperature, weather, or time. The display is simple, large, and bright.
Press the ring once and you can see the weather, outdoor temperature, and humidity.
The Nest Thermostat will alert you on your phone if something is wrong, such as low temperatures that can cause frozen pipes or a furnace that is malfunctioning. Not only that, you can connect the Nest to your smoke and CO alarms. If the smoke alarm goes off, the thermostat will turn the fan off. If the CO detectors sounds, the thermostat will shut down the heating system.
Nest products can work with lights, locks, and other products, such as Google Home. Just say, “Ok Google, set my temperature to 75 degrees.”
Nest Thermostats can be integrated with a wide variety of apps and automation systems, including:
While you may have heard that Nest Thermostat installations are easy do-it-yourself projects, it’s actually quite complicated and potentially dangerous. Since Nest Thermostat installations deal with high voltage cables, it’s highly recommended that you schedule installation from a Certified Nest Pro.
Additionally, if you try to install the product yourself, you can void the manufacturer’s warranty. Service Champions’ Nest Pro Installers will make sure your warranty remains in effect, in addition to assessing your entire system, including smoke and CO alarms.
Service Champions is a certified Nest Pro Installer. For thermostat repair or installation, work with the best choice in California.
If you have any questions or would like to purchase and install Nest, either fill out our online form or give us a call.