Owning a home or an apartment requires a lot of maintenance. When you own a residence, you’ll obviously have more bills than you have likely ever had before. There’s water, electricity, gas, Internet, cable/entertainment bills and perhaps even a mortgage you have to account for. Wherever you can save money, you should try to.

There are a ton of smart home devices that can help you in that department. From smart light bulbs that can be placed on a timer and shut off at night when they aren’t being used to smart leak sensors that can alert you to when a water leak happens, smart home devices can be utilized in many different ways for cost efficiency. Another way to use a smart home device is to have a smart thermostat.

A smart thermostat can help you set the temperature of your house from anywhere and can help you keep tabs on your bills. Depending on how you use it, it can affect your gas or your electricity payments while controlling your heat or air conditioning. I was recently able to test out the Amazon Smart Thermostat to see how life with a thermostat I can control multiple ways is. I really liked not having to go all the way to my thermostat every time I wanted to see what the temperature in the house was and being able to set up schedules to automatically change the temperature. Here’s more of what I thought.

Price, specs, and availability

The price is very reasonable

The Amazon Smart Thermostat retails for $80. It’s frequently discounted throughout the year, sometimes down to near $50. It is available on Amazon and from retailers like Best Buy. It is much more affordable than some of the premium smart home thermostats on the market, which can cost around three times as much.

The device itself is small and compact, weighing in at only 3.86 ounces. The entire front is a touchscreen display, showing you the temperature, the mode, and the ability to change degrees upward or downward. It won’t take up much space on your wall, measuring 3.56″ x 3.56″ x 0.84″. There isn’t a hub that is required to use this, but you do need an Amazon Alexa app to use it.

It’s compatible with most 24V HVAC systems, which includes forced air, heat pumps, and radiant boilers. It won’t work with heating systems that offer baseboard heat. It does require a C-wire for it to work with both heating and cooling systems at the same time, so if you don’t have one, you’ll have to switch the wiring each time you want to switch the system from hot to cold. A C-wire power kit or a power adapter kit are sold separately from Amazon.

What I like about the Amazon Smart Thermostat

The voice commands make it so convenient to use

Setting up the Amazon Smart Thermostat was simple enough that I could do it by myself. Of course, because I am not the best handyman, I did have a friend of mine come over and help supervise — who is an HVAC specialist, so I was in good hands. Swapping out our existing thermostat for the Amazon Smart Thermostat was simple. Just popping off the old one and connecting a few wires to the new one was all that it took. The display lit up and showed the word “set.” From there, I added the device via the Amazon Alexa app.

Walking through the setup process was simple in the Alexa app. It only took a few steps, and it automatically synced with my Amazon Echo devices. It even tested the system itself, turning it on and changing the degrees to make sure that it was connected to the heater. I felt the vents and was pleased to feel hot air coming through them. I didn’t even have to make any changes to the wiring downstairs where my heating and air units are.

I was able to set schedules on the Alexa app, which has helped my home stay warm during the day but also drop a few degrees at night, which has helped us save on heating tremendously. I have a single heating system, which means there isn’t a thermostat upstairs for me to adjust the temperature on the second floor versus the first floor. So, any time I previously needed to change the temperature, I would have to go down to the thermostat and manually adjust it there. No longer do I need to do that, as I can change it from my phone through the Alexa app — or, ask any of the three Echo Show devices in my arsenal to change the temperature.

The voice command feature is a game-changer, as I can ask it to switch from heating to cooling, change the temperature, or just ask what the temperature is in general. Of course, I can still change the settings on the display as well. But once I set up a schedule, I just set it and forget about it, only occasionally needing to ask my Echo Show what the temperature is.

What I don’t like about the Amazon Smart Thermostat

You get what you pay for

While the Amazon Smart Thermostat can do a lot, it doesn’t have intuitive features like other smart thermostats do. It won’t be able to learn your habits or tendencies and change the temperature for you. It doesn’t come with an added sensor to gauge how the home feels. I do wish I would have been able to change the schedule from my Echo Show devices, but that’s only available through the Alexa app. It also would be frustrating to find out you needed a C-wire after you received this and then have to wait for it to ship. But it’s not a huge issue, and Amazon does tell you to check your system before you purchase it.

Should you buy the Amazon Smart Thermostat?

I am extremely pleased with mine

The Amazon Smart Thermostat is a cost-efficient smart home device that can save you even more in the long run. Being able to set up schedules for your heating and cooling and change the temperature with voice commands with Alexa-compatible devices makes using and owning this convenient. While you do need to check your system to make sure it’s compatible, it’s truly worth it if it is. Being able to use this through your phone, with your voice, or on the touchscreen display gives you the freedom to worry less about how your home feels. The Amazon Smart Thermostat would make a good addition to any home.