Google’s Nest has been out for a bit of time now, touted as a central hub of a smart home and a “learning” thermostat. The question is: is it worth it to buy one?
Google’s Nest claims that it can save homeowners on average 20% of their heating cost by learning their habits, understanding when they are home, and turning down — or turning off — the heat when they are not home. While definitive proof of what Google says has yet to be seen, there may be benefits for some, and none for others.
If you don’t or keep forgetting to turn down your thermostat when you go to work, Nest will definitely save you some money. But if you’re already in the habit of it, then Nest might just be a stylish upgrade to your current thermostat.
However, that’s not the only thing Nest can do. With abilities to connect to smart assistants and your smartphone, you can control your climate in your home from afar. That means if you have children or pets who you’ve left at home, you can make things more comfortable for them without having to be home. Nest is supposed to automatically learn your habits and change accordingly, but having the ability to change things from afar can be helpful — and help you understand your energy consumption when it comes to heating and cooling.
Installation can be a bit of a tricky thing when it comes to the Nest thermostat, with lots of do-it-yourselfers taking to the internet to voice their frustrations. You can also have us install Nest for you for a fee — and since Google claims that Nest can save homeowners on average between $131 to $145 a year, it might be worth it to you in the long run to just spring to have someone else install it.
One of the best aspects of Nest is the programmability. We know that programming a lot of thermostats can be lengthy, confusing, and you never want to touch it again once you do it the first time. Nest, on the other hand, has a simple, easy-to-use and easy-to-understand app on your smart device. You don’t have to set a schedule, as Nest learns on its own, but you can if you want to — say if you go on vacation or leave the home for an extended period of time. Once Nest learns your habits, if you want to make changes to its automatic program, it’s easy.
Nest also has a lot of cool “advanced” features you can explore once you get it installed. Nest also works in conjunction with other smart devices such as Philips Hue to really help you double down on energy consumption and the automated home. Nest also has an additional component you can add called “Nest Protect”. It’s a smart carbon monoxide and smoke detector that integrates right into the Nest thermostat.
Some of these items can be pricey to begin with, with Nest currently clocking in anywhere between $199 to $249 depending on where you shop. Nest Protect is $119, and remember a non-DIY installation is $100. Total for the package you could expect to pay $418 to $468 for an all over Nest system. That number can be a bit shocking compared to a regular $50 programmable thermostat, but with the savings per year, it could definitely pay off for you.
Do you have a Google Nest? What do you think of it? Let us know in the comments below!
