Vent: Dropped $350 on a "smart" thermostat and regret every penny

I caved and bought one of those Nest thermostats last month because everyone in my neighborhood raves about saving on energy bills. The install took me over 2 hours because my old system uses a common wire, and the app kept glitching during setup. Now it's been 3 weeks and I haven't seen any change in my electric bill, plus my wife hates that she has to use her phone to adjust the temperature. Has anyone else found these things are more hassle than they're worth for an older house?

3 comments

3 Comments

jake63818d ago

Yeah and the two hours thing is probably just the start. You gotta figure in the time it takes to re-pair the thing with the app every time the wifi drops, plus the fun of explaining to your wife why the thermostat is now a $350 paperweight if your internet goes down. And the "savings" thing is a scam unless you've got some crazy variable rate plan or you're gone 12 hours a day. I know a guy who ran the numbers on his old house and the payback period was like 4 years assuming nothing broke. Not worth the hassle for an old house with all the quirks.

brian32818d ago

Two hours for a thermostat install? That's insane.

scott.drew18d ago

Three hours is honestly more realistic if the wiring in your wall is from 1985 and none of the labels match the new unit. Plus you gotta factor in the trip to Home Depot for the wrong adapter plate.