The SMUD Thermostat Program: An FAQ for Sacramento Homeowners

smud thermostat programHaving to run your furnace all winter, and your AC all summer is no fun at all. Don’t get me wrong, the heated and cooled air that furnaces or AC units produce is, of course, wonderful. But the thing is, a bill for all that comfort eventually comes due. There are some investments you can make in your home, though, that will keep those bills at a minimum and enable you to better manage the amount of money you spend on utility costs.

See, here in Sacramento we actually have a program offered by one of the local utility companies. The SMUD thermostat program helps homeowners, just like you, get a free programmable thermostat that will help keep your utility bills low. There’s obviously no way to change the weather to be more to your liking, and you don’t want to use your furnace or AC less because that would mean giving up some comfort. With the SMUD thermostat program, though, you can make it so the heating provided by your furnace and the cooling courtesy of your air conditioner is far easier to control.

I’m sure you have some questions about how this works, so without further adieu, let’s take a look at some of the most frequently asked questions about the SMUD thermostat program. Pay careful attention here today, and I guarantee you’ll learn some useful facts!

FAQ #1: What Is the SMUD Thermostat Program?

Simply put, SMUD is offering to give any of its customers who don’t already have one a programmable thermostat, free of charge. They’ll even cover the installation at no additional cost for you.

FAQ #2: What Thermostats Are Covered by the SMUD Program?

smud thermostat program FAQsThere’s a simple answer to this one: most programmable thermostats, also known as smart thermostats. To make sure that you find an eligible model that’s the right fit for your home, though, we recommend working with an experienced HVAC professional.

FAQ #3: How Do Programmable or Smart Thermostats Offered by SMUD Work?

I suppose the next logical question about the SMUD thermostat program is about how programmable or smart thermostats work. I get it. Heck, there are members of my own family who aren’t quite sure about this.

Anyway, the simple answer is that programmable thermostats automatically adjust the temperature settings throughout the day based on a schedule that you select. Your thermostat will automatically turn itself off and on based on when you’re going to be home, making sure it’s never running when you’re not around to enjoy the conditioned air that it produces.

FAQ #4: What’s the Difference Between a Smart and a Non-Programmable Thermostat?

Well, it’s a pretty big one. Non-programmable thermostats require you to manually adjust the temperature, which can lead to spending money on heating and cooling costs when you’re not home, depending on how conscientious you are about things. I know that I often left my AC or furnace running when I wasn’t home before I got my own programmable thermostat installed.

FAQ #5: Do Programmable or Smart Thermostats Save Money for the Average SMUD Customer?

Of all the frequently asked questions on our list here today, this one might actually be the most frequently asked. In fact, we hear it so often that we’ve even discussed the question of will a smart thermostat save money in a previous blog. The answer, put simply, is yes, but we’ll go a bit further into how it does that all the same.

FAQ #6: Where Can I Find More Info on SMUD’s Thermostat Program?

I hope I’ve answered all your questions but, in case I haven’t, you can get more info yourself right from SMUD by going to the SMUD Thermostat Program’s website.

FAQ #7: Should I Work With an Experienced HVAC Contractor to Install My New Thermostat?

Of course you should. The SMUD Thermostat Program is great, and it can really help you save money on your heating and cooling bills by making your home more energy efficient. Programmable or smart thermostats, however, are far from the only investment that you can make as a homeowner that will both save you money and make your home more energy efficient. There are lots of different options out there for this, ranging from making sure your house is well-insulated to getting help with energy efficient windows. The right contractor will be experienced and versatile enough to help answer any questions you have about what the best products are for your home—and how to make sure that the job gets done right, too.

We covered a lot of ground today, but I think it’s all really helpful for homeowners hoping to save some money on heating and cooling costs, which, let’s face it, are probably all homeowners everywhere. Technology in the HVAC world has developed pretty rapidly in the past decade or so, and there’s a lot of new stuff out there that can help you make your home more energy efficient. And the more energy efficient your home is, the more you can save each month on your utility bills.

The SMUD Thermostat Program is just one way to do this. If you work with the trained professionals at Bell Brothers, we can help you find all different kinds of routes to the same destination: saving money.

At Bell Brothers, our trained HVAC professionals would be delighted to help you select and install all the different types of energy efficient upgrades that can improve your home’s energy efficiency. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and to get answers to your questions about custom replacement windows cost.

Image courtesy REDPIXEL.PL