Is a smart thermostat worth it for your home?

A smart thermostat is most likely to pay off when your home is empty for predictable stretches, it controls a system you spend real money running, and you don't already turn the temperature back yourself. ENERGY STAR puts the average saving from its certified models at about 8% of heating and cooling bills, or about $50 a year, and says homes that are always occupied save less. Whether it's worth it for you comes down to one division: what it costs you, after any rebate, divided by what it saves you each year.

Where the savings come from

The saving comes from the schedule, not the gadget. The U.S. Department of Energy says you can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by turning your thermostat back 7–10°F for 8 hours a day from its normal setting. A smart thermostat makes that setback automatic and easier to keep up. If you already set the temperature back by hand every day, most of that saving is already yours, and a smart thermostat mainly adds convenience.

Heat pumps need care. DOE notes that programmable thermostats have generally not been recommended for heat pump systems, and advises not to use setbacks with a heat pump unless the thermostat is designed for heat pumps. Check compatibility before you buy.

What the average depends on

ENERGY STAR's 8% is an average. It says savings depend on your climate, your comfort preferences and how often the home is occupied. Note what the 8% is a share of: heating and cooling costs only, not your whole electric bill.

Estimate your heating and cooling spending

Your bill doesn't separate heating and cooling from everything else, so make a rough estimate: add up a year of electric charges, then subtract twelve times the bill from a mild month when you barely heated or cooled. What's left is a rough annual heating-and-cooling cost. Other seasonal loads, such as a pool pump that runs longer in summer, will inflate it, so treat the result as an upper bound. If you heat with gas, include the heating part of your gas bills too.

Run your own version with the upgrade payback calculator. Use a savings range rather than one number: if your estimate only pays back at the top of the range, the decision is closer than it looks.

Rebates and credits

• JEA customers: JEA lists a $50 smart thermostat rebate on its residential rebates page. Check the current terms and eligibility on JEA's site before you buy.
• FPL customers: we haven't verified an FPL smart thermostat rebate. FPL's verified programs are on our FPL page.
• Federal tax credit: the IRS says the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C) is not allowed for property placed in service after December 31, 2025, following Public Law 119-21 (the "One, Big, Beautiful Bill"). Don't count on a federal credit for a 2026 purchase.
• Florida home energy rebates: Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services says the federally funded HOMES and HEEHR (also called HEAR) rebate programs are expected to launch in the future; applications aren't open.

Our rebates page lists what we've verified and when.

How sensitive is payback to the savings estimate?

ENERGY STAR's figure is an average, about $50 a year, and your home may save more or less. The table shows simple payback in years for a range of invented net costs and savings. The $25 and $75 columns are illustrative sensitivity values, not sourced estimates.

For a JEA customer who qualifies, JEA's $50 smart thermostat rebate lowers the net cost by $50 before you read the table. Run your own figures in the upgrade payback calculator.

Questions to ask before you buy

• Do you already turn the temperature back when you're asleep or away? If so, automation may add little.
• Is your system a heat pump? DOE advises setting back a heat pump only with a thermostat designed for heat pumps.
• Is the model ENERGY STAR certified? ENERGY STAR's savings figure applies to certified smart thermostats.
• Is someone home most of the day? ENERGY STAR says homes that are always occupied see less savings.
• Is there a rebate? JEA lists $50 for JEA customers; we haven't verified an FPL smart thermostat rebate.
• Do you rent? Ask your landlord before replacing a thermostat.
• Will you need professional installation? Get the installed price in writing before you run the numbers.

If the answers point to an ENERGY STAR certified model, a home that's empty for much of the day and no setbacks today, ENERGY STAR's average is a reasonable starting point for the payback table. If they don't, start from the lower column, or keep your current thermostat and turn the temperature back by hand.

When it's probably not worth it

• Someone is home most of the time, so there's little to set back. ENERGY STAR says these homes see less savings.
• You already turn the temperature back every day and night by hand.
• You rent and can't change the thermostat, or your landlord hasn't agreed.
• You have a heat pump and the model isn't designed for heat pumps.
• You barely heat or cool, so 8% of a small number doesn't cover the cost in a reasonable time.
• Your system needs new wiring for the thermostat. That raises the cost, and the work should be done by a qualified installer.

Not sure how much of your bill is heating and cooling? Start with the free bill check, which shows your price per kWh and what to look at first.