I am always tackling different types of home improvement projects. I’ve painted every room and replaced windows, doors, light fixtures and furniture. I’ve gutted both bathrooms, refinished the hardwood floors and renovated the kitchen. The exterior of our Fort Worth home now features a large back deck, swimming pool and beautiful landscaping. While I’ve made positive changes to nearly ever aspect of the property, I completely overlooked the thermostat. When a licensed HVAC contractor provided annual service for the air conditioner, I complained about the high cost of energy bills. I mentioned that I would frequently forget to adjust the thermostat before my family left for work and school in the mornings. The heating or cooling system would then blast all day long, maintaining ideal temperature throughout an empty home. On the rare occasion that I remembered to adjust the thermostat, my kids would be very unhappy returning to either an overheated or chilly house. The HVAC contractor recommended a smart thermostat. I realized that our current thermostat was already installed when we purchased the home in Forth Worth nearly ten years earlier. When I started researching smart thermostats, I was amazed by the technology. There are models that respond to voice commands, learn the family’s schedule or include occupancy sensors. Today’s thermostats automatically make adjustments to conserve energy whenever possible while also making sure of ideal comfort. Plus, it’s easy to access features and make changes through an app on my Iphone. In Fort Worth, where we experience four distinct seasons and very extreme temperature fluctuations, the thermostat plays an essential role.