Verify the control system and exact model, describe comfort schedules, compare explicit costs and review installation and observed bills.
Record the current thermostat and equipment model numbers, operating modes and available installer documentation. Ask the service provider to identify control voltage, heating/cooling stages, heat-pump reversing valve and any auxiliary heat, zones or communicating controls. Keep the existing settings and terminal labels with the record.
Use the proposed manufacturer’s compatibility process for this equipment and wiring. Confirm power requirements, common-wire or approved adapter needs, staging, auxiliary heat and any accessory controls. Review network requirements, offline behavior, account access, privacy settings and subscription features before purchase.
Agree comfort and occupancy needs with the people using the space. Enter a complete 24-hour setpoint schedule and an outdoor-temperature assumption for each block to describe the change from the current baseline. Discuss recovery, auxiliary heat, humidity and equipment limits with the installer before adopting the schedule.
Record installed cost, confirmed rebates and recurring subscription or service fees. If testing a savings scenario, enter separately supported heating and cooling cost-change percentages; include a no-saving case and a case where cost increases. Review the annual net change and the conditions needed for simple payback.
Use a qualified installer where wiring or equipment configuration requires it. Ask for a completed check of heating, cooling, fan operation, staging, auxiliary heat, recovery settings and safe limits according to the manuals. Confirm the household can change a setting and operate the equipment if internet service is unavailable.
Record comfort observations and operating changes after installation. Compare bill periods on a consistent basis and retain the dates, tariffs, occupancy and weather context. Revisit the schedule and fees if the observed experience differs from the assumed case, and save the next controls review date.
Record equipment identity, verified control requirements and questions for the manufacturer or installer. · Keep the exact-model compatibility result, unresolved exceptions, power method and account/service terms. · Record verified modes, final configuration, offline instructions and any follow-up correction with its owner.
Total the actual installed quote, deposit, chosen contingency and confirmed reimbursements; save competing quotes separately.
Use Daily temperature profile to compare complete heating or cooling degree-hour profiles, not predicted energy savings. · Use Thermostat cost scenario to apply explicit heating/cooling percentages, recurring fees and net upfront cost.
Use Observed bill comparison to compare average charges per month for two stated periods; it does not normalize weather.
Use Calendar dates for documented inspection intervals or Runtime threshold for actual meter readings; save the reviewed schedule.
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The manufacturer’s compatibility and power guidance distinguishes supported systems and common-wire requirements. Use documentation for the exact product rather than generalizing these examples to every thermostat.
DOE training materials cover thermostat and secondary-heat control behavior. Recovery and auxiliary-heat configuration are part of the equipment/control design, not a fixed saving factor.
A subscription can reduce or reverse an assumed annual saving; keep it visible in the comparison.
If comfort or auxiliary-heat behavior changes, record when it happened and the active settings before changing several controls at once.