Smart vs Connected Thermostats

Most folks don’t realize, there’s actually two types of ‘connected thermostats’ available today.  There’s the type that have a ‘brain’ of sorts and can learn how best to handle your household.  Then there’s the type that just give you the ability to control them from anywhere and set schedules.

 

 

  • Smart

    • These are the ‘learning’ type of thermostats that also connect to the internet via your local area network.  They have the ability to adapt, learn patterns, and consult local forecasts and current weather conditions so they can optimize your cooling or heating in your home.  This allows them to work autonomously with little setup and provide you with the biggest cost savings.
  • Connected (only)

    • These are simply internet connected thermostats.  They do not really learn or adapt, as they are merely connected to your internet so that you can see their settings in real-time anywhere in the world and modify them as you wish.  Most of these, if not all, also have the ability to set schedules based on day and time.  You can still achieve a high cost savings, but you’ll have more work to do.


As I’m sure you’ve realized by now, ‘Smart’ thermostats are generally more expensive.  Since they learn and make changes to your home’s temperature settings on their own, based upon their observations, they could also make some mistakes…especially in the initial phase when they first start to ‘learn’ about your household and it’s needs.  However, once they have been in operation for a month or two, they generally become hassle free and a wonderful addition to any Smart Home.

Smart Thermostat
Pros Cons
Ability to Learn Learning Curve, during which could learn some wrong ‘habits’
Greatest Potential Cost Savings More integration generally required, i.e. ways to detect occupants
Less manual intervention required Higher initial cost

On the flip side, ‘Connected only’ thermostats are much more programmable in general.  But it’s completely up to you to research and determine how to set the schedules properly. A lot of times, this will be through trial and error until you get the perfect schedule that keeps the house comfortable at all times yet still saves on your electric bill.  Any mistakes made on these type will be your mistakes, and yours alone.  So there is still a learning curve, but it’s all yours.  Another note on this type is that you’ll need to adjust the schedule for every season, sometimes multiple schedules per season depending upon your location and climate.

Connected only Thermostat
Pros Cons
Total Control No learning ability
Better Potential Cost Savings over non-connected Thermostats Have to completely set schedules and make manual adjustments
Cheaper equipment cost over ‘smart’ Learning curve