Energy prices are high and it does not appear that they’re going to fall anytime soon. If you’re going to keep your utility bills under control, you need to have the flexibility and tools that “smart” technology offers.

Programmable thermostats were a significant upgrade over manual models when they arrived on the scene several years ago. They were great for programming your HVAC system according to your typical schedule — but how often do you follow an exact schedule?

You get stuck at work, or baseball practice runs late or there is an accident on the freeway. Why should you have to pay for the air conditioner to run just because you weren’t able to get home at exactly 5:45 p.m.?

Remote access programmable thermostats are here to help:

• Constant Internet connection: The foundation for your energy savings is an always-on Internet connection. Remote access thermostats can use the web to do everything from track the peak hour rates that your energy provider charges to notifying you when there are toxins in your interior air.
• Smartphone applications and web interface: They also come with an “app” and an easy-to-use web interface that allow you to monitor and control your HVAC system from anywhere. So, if you get stuck at work for a few hours, it will only take you a few seconds to set your thermostat to stay at the “away” temperature for the extended time.
• Keep an eye on the kids: If there are other people in your home, you can receive notifications anytime they override your settings. Many devices also allow you to put password protection on the thermostat so you are always in control of how your system is used.

Not only is the remote access very useful, smart thermostats also have features that test your air for toxins, control humidity, adjust settings to use energy when it’s cheapest and much more.

For professional advice on the best remote access thermostats, contact All Year Heating, Air & Solar. We can help you select the perfect model, install it correctly and walk you through the initial settings and features. Serving the Sacramento area, we’re always happy to help.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about programmable thermostats and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Smartphone image via Shutterstock