When I first considered the upgrade into a wifi thermostat, I was discouraged by the price. Smart thermostats cost several hundred dollars. That’s a lot more expensive than my old plastic dial that I picked up at the local hardware store and installed myself. The wifi thermostat was so complicated that I needed to hire an HVAC contractor to handle the setup. I’ve now had the wifi thermostat for a little over a year, and the investment has paid for itself in numerous ways. My monthly utility bills are significantly lower due to reduced energy waste. I no longer need to remember to adjust the thermostat before my family leaves the house for the day or heads to bed at night. The thermostat has learned our regular schedule and adjusts accordingly. I’m not paying to perfectly heat or cool an empty house, and yet my family always return to ideal comfort. The thermostat features sensors that know when we’re nearly home and recognize room occupancy. If I need to make a change to the program, I always have access through an app on my smartphone. It doesn’t matter if I’m tucked into bed at night, stuck at the office, at my son’s basketball game or lying on a tropical beach, I can always check on the HVAC system and make adjustments. It’s also helpful that the thermostat reminds me about filter changes and scheduling professional maintenance. It alerts me if there’s a temperature fluctuation or a power outage, and further notifies the local HVAC contractor and allows remote diagnosis. This all helps to keep the heating and cooling system operating safely and reliably.