How Much Does It Cost To Install A Smart Thermostat?

Smart thermostats have become a common sight in newly-constructed homes and apartments over the past few years as the housing industry fights to keep up with consumers' high demand for smart home upgrades. Smart thermostats allow owners to control the temperature settings of their homes from the convenience of a mobile device, like a smartphone or tablet. A smart thermostat can cost between $200 and $500 to install, averaging about $350 or $400. This may seem like a hefty fee for an upgrade your house technically doesn't need. Still, these devices have various advantages that help homeowners track their energy usage and control their heating and cooling systems more efficiently.

Smart thermostats are popular gadgets that make controlling and monitoring HVAC systems easier for homeowners. They also help users save on energy costs by letting them turn heating and cooling systems on and off as they please. And by tracking a home's heating and cooling patterns throughout the day, smart thermostats can automatically adjust a home's HVAC activity without an owner's request by increasing or decreasing the temperature or shutting the device off entirely. Here's more on smart thermostats, including a breakdown of repair and installation costs and whether the upgrade is worth the investment.

The most recognizable advantage to upgrading to a smart thermostat is the opportunity to save money every month when the time comes to pay the electric bill. According to smart thermostat manufacturer Nest, now owned by Google, homeowners are projected to save an average of 10-12% on their energy costs monthly by investing in the upgrade, which can add up to $131-145 in savings each year. Smart thermostats save energy by automatically shutting off a home's HVAC system when residents aren't using it, then turning it on again at the homeowner's immediate demand or following a schedule programmed into the thermostat.

In other words, these thermostats help eliminate the struggle of accidentally running an HVAC system all day by forgetting to turn it off before leaving for work or going to bed. Homeowners can program a smart thermostat to follow a specific schedule, but unlike cheaper, programmable thermostats also available on the market, smart thermostats take energy-saving efforts one step further by automatically picking up on residents' temperature-adjusting habits, not needing a preprogrammed schedule to know when to raise or lower the temperature or power down entirely. Smart thermostats are also equipped to sense whether the room it's installed inside is empty, automatically turning off if the device assumes no one is home. Smart thermostats also make it easier to control your home's temperature while away by connecting to your home's Wi-Fi and your preferred mobile device through a downloadable application.

The costs to install and maintain a smart thermostat depends on several factors, the first being the model you're buying. Contractors usually charge an additional $100-200 to install the machine, but prices may fluctuate depending on the brand of thermostat you purchase. However, smart thermostats are relatively easy to install by yourself, which would eliminate the need to hire a technician to do it for you. However, some installation jobs require extra effort, as some smart thermostats need an additional "C" wire to connect the machine to the home's HVAC system properly.

Also, since the job involves working with electrical wires, there is the chance of hurting yourself if you start the replacement process with little to no knowledge. It's also important to note that all smart thermostat models aren't necessarily compatible with every HVAC system. Review compatibility checkers created online by the more common smart thermostat brands, like Nest and ecobee, before deciding to invest.

Smart thermostats also rarely break or malfunction, and most issues that do occur can usually be fixed with a simple reset. However, if you need to call a professional to look at your thermostat, repairs generally cost anywhere from $110-300, with labor costs running between $50-100 an hour. And, just like with all smart devices installed inside your home, whenever you experience Wi-Fi connectivity issues, most of your thermostat's "smart" functions won't work until the problems are resolved.