Are Smart Thermostats Effective in Lockdown?

The Coronavirus Pandemic has impacted virtually every industry across the globe. Energy isn’t exempt from this, with 2020 seeing huge variations in demand. This has led some to wonder: are smart thermostats just as effective in the ‘new normal’, and can they still save you money during lockdowns?

What has changed for energy in 2020?

Smart thermostats are expected to continue to Grow in Popularity During 2020, but this doesn’t mean aspects of the industry haven’t been changed by COVID-19. The most obvious one is the amount of time people are spending in their homes, and thus with their heating systems.

We conducted a survey which showed that in the past 6 months more and more people are working from home; more than 60% said one or more people in their household had worked from home in the last 6 months.

This shows that residential energy demand has increased significantly, and peaks in said demand have occurred at irregular times of the day.

With the November lockdown in England, the vast majority of people are spending all day in the home which, during Winter, is inevitably going to lead to changes in heating schedules. Smart thermostats are often thought to save energy when homes are empty during the day, so the worry is that they’ll be unable to do this with many households working and learning remotely.

So, how can a Smart Thermostat still save you money & energy?

Whilst it’s true that the Coronavirus Pandemic has seen most of us use more energy in some areas, smart thermostats can continue to play a crucial role in reducing bills this year.

Changing your heating schedules to suit a new routine is highly recommended to ensure your smart thermostats are still effective. If you’re waking up later because you no longer have to commute, for instance, you should change your heating levels to better reflect this. For those with multi-zone heating, this will be even more important. In the day, you should only heat the room that you’re working in, then make sure you’re selective with which rooms you heat in the evenings.

You can still minimise energy wastage and keep bills down even when you’re using your heating more, by adjusting your settings and enabling energy-saving features. Activating Eco Mode, one of a Wiser thermostat’s Smart Modes, can help you save 7% more energy. Meanwhile, a study by Forbes suggests that turning down a smart thermostat by just one degree can reduce average heating bills by £80 annually!

The need for sustainability

What the above shows is that eco-friendly features are actually the main factor in what determines the effectiveness of a smart thermostat, as opposed to the frequency of use. The need for sustainable smart home technology is also an important consideration for consumers too, with almost 30% of those surveyed said sustainability was very important to them when considering their choice of smart technology.

This is why reducing energy wastage is so important to Wiser’s smart thermostats, even if we’re using them more throughout 2020 whilst in lockdown! You can read more about how smart thermostats can save energy and money.