By: Matt Hendrian

As the summer heat gives way to cooler days and furnaces are fired up, there is no better time to learn about the tools that help keep your bills in check. Here are five reasons you should make the switch to a smart thermostat, if you haven’t already:

  1. Cost savings! You can save an average of $50 annually on energy costs.
  2. Remote access. If you forget to change your thermostat settings before you leave, you can adjust it from anywhere, at any time using your smartphone.
  3. Optimized energy usage. Smart thermostats allow you to participate in energy savings events that automatically cool and heat your home when energy rates are lower in the day, and avoid the times where rates are higher. Spreading demand over the day relieves stress on the electric grid and helps keep your future bills lower.
  4. Learns your schedule. Most smart thermostats know when your home is empty and will automatically ease off on your heating or cooling.
  5. Overall energy savings. A smart thermostat can control devices that use a lot of energy through heating and cooling. ENERGY STAR certified thermostats are required to have the ability to enter a low-power standby mode when inactive, which saves even more energy and is good for the planet.

When it comes to saving money without having to sacrifice your comfort or control, smart thermostats and the Smart Thermostat Program are sustainable tools you’ll want to remember.

Effortless Savings

Don’t pay for what you’re not using. Smart thermostats learn your comfort settings and can be adjusted so your home is exactly how you like it when you’re there – and working to save you money when you’re not.

The Smart Thermostat Program is an extension of this. As one of our demand response programs, when you enroll, you will automatically participate in Energy Savings Event days when demand is particularly high. These can occur up to 14 times per summer or 10 times per winter; typically lasting four hours. The program syncs with your smart thermostat and will automatically adjust the temperature in your home 1-2 degrees, then return to your comfort settings when the event is over. Your thermostat will do all the work, but you’ll always be notified before an event and have full control over your settings. The adjustment will save you money and create a more predictable bill each month. Participation helps keep overall energy costs lower for everyone, now and into the future.  

To help get you started, you can get a free (or deeply discounted) smart thermostat when you enroll, and you’ll also get a $25 Prepaid Mastercard® at the end of each season you participate.

If you already have a smart thermostat, you can still get a $75 Prepaid Mastercard® when you enroll on top of the $25 each season.

Take Control

Joining the Smart Thermostat Program doesn’t limit your control – it gives you more. The ability to control the temperature of your home from any device with Wi-Fi means you can adjust your comfort from anywhere. Greater control over your bill and letting your thermostat do the work for you while you’re away is an advantage you don’t want to miss. And, if Energy Savings Events interfere with your plans or your comfort, you can opt out at any time by simply adjusting the settings on your thermostat whenever you need to.

Do Good for the Planet

Your smart energy choices create real change. Every time you join an Energy Savings Event, you bring Michigan one step closer to a clean energy future by reducing your carbon footprint. Saving money and creating a sustainable future at the same time has never been easier.

As you look for ways to stay warm (or cool during the summer) and save money, the Smart Thermostat Program is an easy option that makes protecting your comfort, savings, and the planet sustainable.

Learn more about the Smart Thermostat Program and the benefits it has to offer here.