Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Smart Home
  3. Guides

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

How a smart thermostat can protect your home from brownouts

Michael Bizzaco
John Velasco
By and

Summer’s here, and for some parts of the country, it’s going to be challenging to escape the extreme temperatures. Air conditioning is a must-have for those mid-July heatwaves, even more so for those with respiratory troubles and other health conditions. The trouble with summer and air conditioning, though, is that everyone on your street or in your apartment building has the same idea as you: They want to be cold, and they want to stay cold. When there’s too much strain on your local power grid, there’s a chance a brownout may occur. This is a temporary lag in electrical power that can affect your home for a few minutes or up to several hours.

Thankfully, today’s homes are significantly smarter and more efficient when it comes to combating high energy demands from appliances and HVAC systems. Take, for instance, the beauty and wonder of smart thermostats, which monitor and regulate the temperature of your home. They’re far more efficient because they’ll kick off your air conditioning system when you’re not home, or simply operate it at a lower capacity to maintain a specific temperature. They learn your habits over time to reduce power consumption, saving you money in the long run.

Here are some tips on how you can protect your home from brownouts using a smart thermostat:

  • Set your temperature to a lower level or turn it off completely if no one is home. If you have a pet, you’ll want to keep them comfortable by maintaining a specific temperature.
  • Don’t set your AC system to kick on as soon as you get home. Instead, it’s more efficient to have your smart thermostat turn on earlier, prior to your arrival, to give it more time to slowly get your home to a pleasant level.
  • Close or lower your blinds. This will help with maintaining a cooler home when you’re not there and will allow your smart thermostat to work more effectively as well.
  • Sign up for programs that can reward you for using a smart thermostat.
Recommended Videos

If you happen to own a Nest Thermostat, there’s even more of an incentive for you because of the Rush Hour Rewards program. Energy rush hours occur when there’s a surge of power consumption during a heatwave because everyone in a particular area turns on their air conditioning system in an attempt to cool down their homes quickly. You can imagine the stress that the power grid endures during these energy rush hours, which can potentially result in a brownout or blackout. Here’s how to test your thermostat.

Rush Hour Rewards with Nest Learning Thermostat

However, by signing up for Nest’s Rush Hour Rewards program, you’ll be sent alerts about when these energy rush hours are expected to occur by the power company. Rather than being set to kick on at your usual time, your Nest Thermostat will automatically modify your cooling schedule to work around rush hour. Right now, New York residents who are under Con Edison’s coverage can earn $85 when they buy a Nest thermostat and sign up for the program. Those around Portland can earn up to $75 with the program.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Michael Bizzaco
Michael Bizzaco
Michael Bizzaco has been writing about and working with consumer tech for well over a decade, writing about everything from…
The best smart light switch for Alexa, Google Home, and HomeKit
A person using a smart light switch.

They may not be as flashy as smart speakers or smart displays, but smart light switches bring just as much functionality to your home. These seemingly simple devices can be toggled on or off like a standard light switch, but they're often packed with other useful features -- such as support for voice assistants or the ability to customize their performance through a mobile app. That makes them incredibly useful and gives you plenty of ways to quickly manage lights throughout your smart home.

With so many smart light switches available in 2024, it can be challenging to figure out which ones are best for your needs. Some are budget-friendly but don’t offer premium features, while others are quite expensive yet allow for remarkable personalization. Whatever your needs, there's a smart light switch that'll work with your setup.

Read more
The most common Google Nest Mini problems and how to fix them
A coral Google Nest Mini mounted on a brick wall.

The Google Nest Mini (2nd Gen) is one of the best smart speakers of 2024. Despite its low price, the Nest Mini gives you full access to Google Assistant, provides surprisingly great audio for a device its size, and is compact enough to fit nearly anywhere in your home. Whether you want to listen to music, dish out commands to other smart devices, or check the news, the Nest Mini can do it all.

However, the Nest Mini isn't without its faults. Setting up and using the smart speaker is typically a straightforward, hassle-free experience. But like all electronics, some owners have noticed strange issues when performing simple tasks — such as connectivity problems or an unresponsive unit.

Read more
How to turn your old phone into a security camera

If you're like most people, you've probably amassed a drawer of unused electronics over the years. Many of these are probably smartphones -- after all, carriers offer great promotions nowadays, giving you a chance to upgrade your device every two years without paying hefty fees. However, instead of letting your old smartphones collect dust (or worse, throwing them away), consider turning them into a makeshift security camera.

There are plenty of great iOS and Android apps available that help turn your old smartphone into a security camera. These work by using your old smartphone's built-in cameras to provide a live stream to your new smartphone. Best of all, many of these are affordable (or free) and work with just about any phone you might have purchased over the last decade.

Read more