Smart Thermostats vs. Manual Adjustments: Which Saves More During Extreme Weather?

If your home is constantly waging a thermostat war, you are likely familiar with the two most common factors driving tension here: staying comfortable and saving money (especially during extreme weather). Manually adjusting the thermostat up and down is the traditional way of managing your home temperature and utility costs. However, smart thermostats can also save money while keeping your home comfortable. Let’s take a closer look at these two options (and which might work best for you).

How Manual Adjustments Work

Whether you have a smart thermostat or not, many homeowners default to physically adjusting the thermostat based on what’s happening in real time:

• Raising the temperature when you leave the house
• Lowering it back down the moment you walk in
• Nudging it up and switching on a fan instead when you’re comfortable enough
• Bumping it when you get too warm or too cold

It’s reactive, hands-on, and entirely dependent on you being there (and remembering) to make the call.

The Benefits of Doing It Yourself

The benefit of manual adjustments is that it is reactive, meaning you’re running your system when you decide it matters, so:

• You’re not conditioning an empty house on a fixed schedule that assumes you’re home when you’re not (or vice versa).
• You can respond to how you actually feel, not a number a thermostat guessed would be comfortable
• There is no wifi dependency.
• This method works with literally any thermostat, including the oldest dial on the wall.

Done consistently, this can help save you money without sacrificing too much comfort on a mild day.

The Trade-Off: How Smart Thermostats Save You Money in Extreme Weather

Here’s the catch. When you shut the system off (or set it way back) while you’re gone, the house drifts toward the outdoor temperature all day. So, for example, on a 105-degree afternoon, that means walking into a house that’s unreasonably hot, and then asking your AC to sprint it back down from scratch. That recovery period is where things get costly in three ways:

• Comfort cost: You’re not actually comfortable again until the system finishes catching up, which can take a while when the gap is large.
• Equipment cost: Your HVAC ends up running continuously at full capacity for an extended period. This also often aligns with when outdoor temperatures (and their load on your compressor) are at their peak. That combination can cost you more short-term with extra repairs and long-term with premature replacement.
• Higher energy costs. Your HVAC will often be working in overdrive during peak energy rates, often costing you more than you save.

The Benefits of Smart Thermostats in Comfort and Savings

To be clear, smart thermostats still allow you to manually adjust your temperature settings for comfort or savings. However, they also allow you to take advantage of advanced benefits, including:

• Pre-conditioning: Pre-set adjustments, geofencing, and other features (depending on the unit you choose) let the system start recovering before you walk in the door, so you’re not waiting out extreme discomfort.
• Smaller, smarter setbacks: Instead of shutting off entirely, a smart thermostat can help you set a temperature schedule that avoids the harshest, longest-duration recovery runs.
• No dependence on memory or timing: Run into traffic, a late meeting, or simply forgot to adjust the temperature? A smart thermostat can work to save you money no matter what your day looks like.
• Utility program participation: In some areas (including Greater Sacramento), optional utility programs let your smart thermostat make brief automatic adjustments during the highest-demand hours, earning you rewards, which a dial thermostat simply can’t do. (More on this below).
• Early warning: If your system is running far longer than normal, some smart thermostats can flag it, which can give you an early indicator of equipment issues so that you can get repairs before needing costly emergency service. 

Extra Savings with Smart Thermostats in Sacramento

ENERGY STAR estimates that smart thermostats save the average household about 8% on an annual heating and cooling bill. These savings can be even greater in areas like Sacramento, where utility costs are higher than the national average.

Additionally, at the time of publication, SMUD offers a $50 instant rebate on qualifying smart thermostats for Sacramento-area homeowners. This rebate works alongside optional enrollment in demand-response programs (like My Energy Optimizer®) that reward you for participating during peak weather events. This program works by syncing with your smart thermostat to precool your home before peak rates to save you money, save the grid to keep your HVAC running, and earn you annual incentives (currently $25 for each summer you participate).

You can also get an additional $30 rebate for each old mercury thermostat you drop off for safe disposal, as these are often found in older Sacramento-area homes. 

Keep Your Home Comfortable With Thermostat Repair and Replacement from Bonney

If your HVAC has been struggling to keep up on extreme days, or you’re thinking about making the switch to a smart thermostat, Bonney is here to help. Our local Sacramento-area technicians can help you pick the right unit for your system, get it installed and configured properly, and ensure your equipment is ready for whatever the season throws at it. We invite you to give us a call, schedule a visit online, or explore our coupons to get started today!