"Honestly, that winter alone we noticed a difference in comfort and bills...maybe quicker bang-for-buck?"
Yeah, sealing drafts can definitely give you quick wins. We did something similar at our place—old house, lots of character (aka drafts everywhere). But after tackling insulation, we eventually went for the smart thermostat too. It was nice having more control remotely, especially when our schedules got unpredictable. Did you ever end up adding one later, or did sealing things up do enough for you?
Totally agree—sealing drafts is the low-hanging fruit. But honestly, once you go smart thermostat, it's hard to imagine life without it. Ours even learns our habits now...feels like the house just knows when we're home or away. Pretty neat stuff.
"feels like the house just knows when we're home or away. Pretty neat stuff."
Yeah, that's definitely convenient, but I've always wondered about the privacy angle. Do you ever worry about how much data these thermostats collect? I mean, it's great that it learns your schedule, but sometimes it feels a bit... too smart. Maybe I'm just old-school, but I still prefer having some manual control over things. Curious if anyone else has had second thoughts about this.
I get the convenience factor, but honestly, I've had some mixed feelings about mine. When I first installed it, I thought it was great—coming home to a warm house without fiddling with the thermostat was awesome. But then there were those weird moments when I'd randomly change my routine, like taking a sick day or working from home unexpectedly, and the thermostat would seem almost confused. It'd keep adjusting itself, like it was trying to figure out if I was really there or not... kinda creepy.
"sometimes it feels a bit... too smart"
Yeah, exactly. I mean, it's probably harmless data they're collecting—just temperature and schedules—but still, there's something unsettling about devices tracking your habits so closely. Maybe I'm just being paranoid or old-fashioned too, but lately I've found myself manually overriding settings more often than not. Guess I prefer feeling like I'm still calling the shots in my own home.
I get what you're saying about the creepiness factor... but honestly, most of these devices are pretty transparent about what they're collecting. Still, makes me wonder: have you checked if yours has a privacy mode or something similar? Might ease your mind a bit.
