Movement Sensors – sensors can detect when people are active in the house. This allows the thermostat to note the times when you and your family are in the house (mornings, evenings, etc.) and when you are gone, which helps with programming.

Learning – learning features come built-in most models. The thermostat can “learn” when people are active and when cooling/heating needs to be on, then optimize schedules accordingly.

Remote Control from Your Smart Phone – smart thermostats come with partnered apps that you download on mobile devices. These apps allow you to check the thermostat anywhere you have a data/Wi-Fi connection, and change the temperature if necessary.

Tracking and Reporting Energy Use – A smart thermostat also provides energy reports about how much power you are using. Also, they show how your energy use has changed over time, and how much this is likely to cost you.