5 Smart Thermostat Programming Ideas for Spokane, WA, Residents

Each degree matters when it comes to your comfort—and your home energy bill. That’s why more Spokane, WA, homeowners rely on smart thermostats to take control of their home comfort. These devices do more than make it easier to control your HVAC—they use advanced temperature scheduling and connectivity to align with your daily activities.

With these smart thermostat programming tips from the experts at Bigfoot Heating & Cooling, you can stay comfortable year-round while minimizing unnecessary energy use. Whether you're hoping to save on utility bills or enjoy a more efficient home, smart home climate control is a smart solution. In this blog, we’ll walk you through easy smart thermostat strategies. With this smart thermostat programming guide, you can make your HVAC system be more efficient and less wasteful.

1. Set Schedules Around Your Daily Routine

Customize your smart thermostat settings to adjust the temperature in your home according to your everyday routine—cooler when you're away, warmer when you're home and perfectly set for sleeping. By automatically shifting the temperature when no one’s home, these schedules eliminate unnecessary heating or cooling. Some smart thermostats are designed to recognize your patterns and adjust the temperature automatically.

Utilizing smart thermostat settings to change temperatures based on your daily activities gives you comfort on your terms without wasting electricity—all while saving money. Plus, it’s simple: you don’t have to manually update settings.

2. Customize Thermostat Settings for Each Season

One of the efficiency-boosting thermostat tips from the team at Bigfoot Heating & Cooling is to use your smart thermostat to change your home’s temperature according to the season. For instance, during winter, experts say the ideal temperature for home energy efficiency is 68 degrees in the day and slightly lower at night. This strategy can lower heating bills by as much as 10% each year. That’s different from the ideal cost-saving temperature for summer, which is approximately 78 degrees. By modifying your temperature settings based on the seasons, you use less energy and still stay comfortable.

3. Utilize Away or Eco Modes When You're Gone

Smart or programmable thermostat schedules also allows you to activate special modes—such as Away and Eco—when you're away from your home. Away Mode reduces the temperature while you're gone. Eco Mode also adjusts the temperature and is well-suited to longer absences, like vacations. These two modes let you save on power when you’re not home to enjoy the heating or cooling, but still ensure your HVAC system still runs to avoid dangerously high or low temperatures.

4. Take Advantage Zoning Features

Some homes have unusually hot or cold rooms. For example, many homes have a second floor that’s consistently warmer than the main level. Installing an HVAC zoning system divides the home into sections, allowing you to adjust temperatures in different parts or levels of your home. Smart thermostats make it easy to set and adjust temperatures by zone, so you can always stay comfortable.

5. Use Real-Time HVAC Data for Maximum Savings

One of the perks of smart thermostats is they have the ability to sync with connected HVAC systems. More than just controlling your heating and cooling system, the WiFi or Bluetooth connection lets your smart thermostat receive real-time data from the system itself. This means a home smart thermostat can monitor performance, alert you to AC or furnace repair and can even automatically contact your local HVAC company when it's time for HVAC maintenance or repair.

This helps get prompt furnace or air conditioning repair as soon as your system needs it. Without this capability, a failing heating and cooling system could suffer more damage and waste energy before you even notice—until the damage is done and your energy bills skyrocket.

Need Help Programming Your Thermostat? Bigfoot Heating & Cooling Is Here For You

Smart thermostats have many perks for your comfort and the energy efficiency of your home. At Bigfoot Heating & Cooling, we love helping homeowners like you get the best results out of smart thermostats and other smart HVAC technology. If want to really increase your comfort, we can pair a smart thermostat with furnace or air conditioning installation—helping you get the maximum benefit your HVAC system. Or, we can show you how a smart thermostat and zoned HVAC system can make your upcoming AC or furnace installation that much more energy efficient. We're also happy to give you thermostat efficiency advice and demonstrate what these innovative tools are capable of.

The path to lowering your home heating bills with smart thermostats begins with a phone call. Schedule your appointment with Bigfoot Heating & Cooling by calling 509-472-8623 today.