With my husband and I both working full-time and three kids involved in school activities and sports, we struggle to find time to spend at home.
- Our house is located in Cocoa, Florida, where the weather is predominantly hot and humid.
We run the central air conditioner just about all year round. The cost of cooling is significant. Although I spent more on a higher efficiency air conditioner, I’m always looking for ways to trim utility bills. I realized that it was costing me a fortune to keep an empty house perfectly cool. I started making an effort to raise the thermostat setting before my family left in the morning. We’d then come home at the end of the day to a horribly overheated house. It would take the air conditioner quite a while to bring the temperature down to a comfortable level. Just recently, I upgraded to a smart thermostat. It was one of the best home improvements I’ve ever made. The thermostat wasn’t overly expensive and has quickly paid for itself by lowering our cooling costs. The device automatically adjusts output of the air conditioner when the house is unoccupied. It keeps track of the location of every family member’s phone and reacts when we’re on the way home. At the ideal time, the thermostat starts up the air conditioner to make sure we step inside to the ideal comfort level. Plus, the thermostat reminds me to change the air conditioner filter and schedule annual professional maintenance. It tracks energy usage and provides tips for savings. I like that I can access information and programs via an app on my smartphone at any time from wherever I happen to be.