What Is the Amazon Smart Thermostat and How Can You Use It?

See how Amazon's own smart thermostat can fit in a smart home and maybe even save some cash.

A smart thermostat is one of the best ways to start building a smart home. Along with making it easy to control your home's heating and air conditioning, you can save money with lower energy usage.

We’ll look closer at a great option from a smart home stalwart—the Amazon Smart Thermostat.

Just like other smart technology, a smart thermostat brings technology to a traditional home device.

When installed, using Wi-Fi technology, you can control the smart thermostat with a smartphone app or a smart home hub.

There are a number of reasons you should upgrade to a smart thermostat. That includes convenience, easy scheduling, and even the ability to save some on your energy bills.

You can also use a smart thermostat as part of a larger smart home setup as part of automation and more. For example, you can automatically turn your air conditioner up when you leave your home.

If you’re interested in purchasing the thermostat, make sure to run through Amazon’s compatibility checker here. This guide will require you to remove your thermostat’s faceplate and doesn’t require tools. In just a few minutes, you can make sure that the thermostat can be installed in your home.

And before you can start using the Amazon Smart Thermostat, you’ll need to install it as it takes the place of your previous model. Anyone with just a bit of DIY knowledge should be able to do that without any issues.

One of the biggest issues with installation is a C-wire. That's needed to provide full-time power to the thermostat. But thankfully, if you don’t have a C-wire, Amazon offers the option to purchase a C-wire adapter along with the thermostat.

The Alexa app for iOS or Android will walk you through the entire installation process. For any questions, you can also contact Amazon’s customer service.

For anyone who doesn’t want to bother with installation, a local HVAC professional should be able to install the thermostat for a charge.

The smart thermostat is only compatible with Alexa and Echo devices. It can’t be used with other big-name smart home systems like Apple HomeKit or Google Home.

But Alexa users are in for a real treat. You can adjust the thermostat using both the Alexa app and an Echo device along with the device itself. On the thermostat, you can see the current temperature and adjust the mode and preferred temperature.

On the Alexa app, you can also track and manage your HVAC energy usage. That feature is part of the Energy Dashboard that can help you see how all of your smart home devices are using energy. The smart thermostat also makes use of Alexa Hunches that help manage your smart home. With a bit of work in the Alexa app, Alexa can automatically adjust the temperature of your home if there’s a hunch that you are asleep or out of the house.

For more control, you can also use the app to program a complete home temperature schedule.

Along with saving cash with lower energy bills, Amazon will email you after purchasing the smart thermostat will email you with details about any details about rebates from energy providers in your area. Those can many times cancel out the price of the thermostat itself.

If you’re a smart home beginner or entrenched in the Alexa ecosystem, the Amazon Smart Thermostat provides a great way to bring easy control and more to your climate control system.

Along with the inexpensive price, the thermostat offers a number of great features for an Alexa user. Enjoy the simplicity of controlling your thermostat with your smartphone or Echo device.

Born and raised in sunny west Texas, Brent graduated from Texas Tech University with a BA in journalism. He's been writing about technology for more than 5 years and enjoys all things Apple, accessories, and security.