Are Smart Thermostats Worth It? Real Savings Data

Hand adjusting a smart thermostat wall touchscreen showing temperature and energy usage

Sometimes, under specific conditions, with a house that was wasting energy before you started. Not the flat 20% every manufacturer prints on the box. The independent field studies that measured real houses put the number closer to half that, and roughly a third of homes that install one save close to nothing. Quick decoder Measured … Read more

Best Honeywell Smart Thermostats: T9, T6, and RTH9585 Compared

Smart thermostat mounted on wall showing home automation controls

If you want a reliable WiFi thermostat without paying ecobee prices, Honeywell Home delivers. The T9 is the pick for most people – room sensors, smart scheduling, works with Alexa and Google Home. If you’re deep in Apple HomeKit, though, read the HomeKit section before you buy. Spoiler: it’s complicated. Budget shoppers who just want … Read more

Setting Up An Ecobee Geofence Using Homekit

ecobee homekit geofence

You can set up ecobee geofencing through the ecobee app directly, or through HomeKit automations – and the HomeKit route is the better one if you have multiple people in the house. Here’s how both work, and why you’d choose one over the other. Two Ways to Geofence an Ecobee Ecobee has its own built-in … Read more