“A New Thermostat” Just the Christmas Gift I Always Wanted

Now that Thanksgiving has just turned the corner, there is an answer to the yearly effort of choosing a creative gift for the holiday season. Maybe TRC has a solution for you.

When I write this blog, I tend to think of the serious nature linked to TRC’s goal of collecting and safely recycling mercury-containing thermostats. But all of us, at home and in the workplace, need an occasional touch of levity, so allow me to make an audacious suggestion for this holiday season. Consider buying a new thermostat for yourself or a friend, ESPECIALLY if the one they have is old, and it might contain mercury. (If it contains mercury, be sure to safely recycle it.) Sure, we might have mercury on the mind constantly at our office because we think about it every day. Still, if the gift replaces an outdated unit that could potentially be a hazard, you’re doing yourself, a family member or a friend a true community service.

The holiday season is an excellent time to remind everyone that thermostats are wonderful because they do marvelous things.

For example, they maintain your home or workplace at a comfortable temperature, and they are especially helpful at preventing your environment from overheating or overcooling. Modern thermostats are energy savers because they maintain the setpoints you establish. Figures vary, but we commonly accept the fact that a modern thermostat can save from 10% to 20% on annual energy costs. And if you have a “smart” thermostat, you can adjust the temperature remotely from your phone, tablet or voice assistant regardless of where you are.

They also have geofencing ability, which detects when you’re at home, and modern thermostats are a great tool for making suggestions about energy use. We’re also moving toward adaptive learning, which means that your device begins to “learn” your preferences over time. Finally, today’s thermostats reduce your environmental footprint. And that is an excellent reason for having a modern unit.  

If you really get inspired by the holiday season, consider creating a Christmas thermostat–themed display with a weather station or the North Pole decorated with candy canes. If you have kids, it can be a project idea for a classroom assignment.

For the especially creative, you can even consider making a Christmas ornament from an old unit, provided that you ensure it has no mercury (check with your HVAC tech to be sure).

While these suggestions border on the lighter side of things during a festive season, the serious part is to recycle old thermostats that have mercury and to use a new unit to construct a more comfortable, energy-conscious environment.

If you come up with a holiday theme (or any other idea) related to thermostats, let us know and send a photo. We might share it in our blog section.