What is the Best Brand for Thermostats near Langley, BC? 

Living in British Columbia means dealing with a wide range of weather conditions. From chilly, damp winters in the Fraser Valley to the warm, sunny summers, your home’s heating and cooling system works hard. A smart thermostat is a great tool to ensure your home is safe, comfortable, and energy efficient.

We’re often asked about the best brands for smart thermostats here in BC, and we stand behind the Honeywell Smart Thermostats we install.  There are a few other top competitors that make great products as well - so let's talk about them and help you decide what's best for your home.

The $150 FortisBC Smart Thermostat Rebate

For our customers with a natural gas furnace or boiler, there is now a "connected thermostat rebate" available from FortisBC. You can receive a rebate of up to $150 when an eligible smart thermostat is installed by a licensed contractor like us. This reduces the upfront cost, making a smart thermostat a great investment for your home.

It's important to remember that this rebate is tied to professional installation, which is a service we're happy to provide, ensuring the job is done right and your system is running at peak performance.

Pros and Cons of a Smart Thermostat: How to Tell if One is Good or Not 

When shopping for a smart thermostat, the sheer volume of options can be overwhelming if you're shopping for a smart thermostat, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of options. To help you make the right decision, here are the key features we focus on for our clients near Langley, BC:

• Remote Sensors: In a multi-level house or one with rooms that get more sun, a single thermostat can't control the temperature everywhere. Remote sensors allow the thermostat to average the temperature across different rooms, eliminating hot and cold spots.
• Geofencing: This feature uses your smartphone's location to automatically adjust the temperature when you leave the house and pre-heat or pre-cool it as you return. You save energy while you're away without ever having to come home to a cold house.
• Energy Reports: A good smart thermostat should provide data about your energy usage. By tracking how and when you use energy, these reports can help you identify areas where you can save even more, giving you control over your monthly bills.
• Intuitive App Remote Control: The whole point of a smart thermostat is convenience. A user-friendly mobile app is essential, allowing you to easily adjust settings and check your home’s temperature from anywhere.  This can give you peace of mind when you're away for the day, gone for vacation, or making sure the home is warm or cool enough for your family when you can't be there.

Does Honeywell Make a Good Thermostat?  Our Overall Pick is The Honeywell Home T9 WiFi Smart Thermostat

The Honeywell Home T9 is our go-to recommendation for homes near Langley.  We believe this unit strikes the perfect balance between advanced features and simple, reliable operation—something we truly value for our customers. It’s an ideal fit for the diverse climates here in BC and qualifies for the FortisBC rebate.

Key features for BC homes:

• Smart Room Sensors: This Honeywell unit comes with a wireless sensor you can place in any room. This allows you to factor in different temperature zones in your home, like a cold basement or a sunny upstairs bedroom. The T9 unit will then average the temperature between the main thermostat and the sensors, providing consistent comfort where you need it most.
• Geofencing: This smart feature uses your phone’s location to know when you’ve left and when you're on your way back. It can automatically switch to an energy-saving "Away" mode when you're out and pre-heat or pre-cool your home as you approach your home again, so you never have to sacrifice comfort to save energy.
• Dependable and Intuitive: Honeywell has been a leader in home comfort for decades. The T9's interface is straightforward and easy for anyone in the family to use.

Thermostat Ratings By Brand

Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium

The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium is a high-quality, Canadian-made product. It's known for its advanced features and robust energy-saving capabilities.

Key features for BC homes:

• SmartSensor for Whole-Home Comfort: Much like the Honeywell T9, the Ecobee Premium includes a SmartSensor that detects both temperature and occupancy. 
• Built-in Air Quality Monitoring: The Ecobee monitors for harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon monoxide in your home, alerting you to potential air quality issues. 
• eco+ Technology: Ecobee's software automatically adjusts your heating and cooling based on your routine, the local weather, and even time-of-use electricity rates.

Google Nest Learning Thermostat

The Google Nest Learning Thermostat is one of the first "smart" thermostats. Its sleek design and intelligent "learning" features have made it a popular choice.

Key features for BC homes:

• Learning Capability: The Nest has the ability to learn your habits. Within a few days, it can create a personalized schedule based on your manual temperature adjustments.
• Auto-Away: The Nest’s built-in motion sensors can tell when no one is home and automatically turn down the temperature to save energy. 

What is the Best Thermostat in Canada? Settings for Winter

Finding the best thermostat setting for winter in Canada is a balance between comfort and energy savings. While personal comfort can play a big role, a general guideline is to set the temperature to around 20°C when you are home and awake. This temperature is comfortable for most people without overworking your heating system. 

For times when you are sleeping or away from home, lowering the temperature to between 17°C and 19°C can lead to significant energy savings—some experts suggest up to 10% on your heating bill annually. Be careful not to set the temperature too low in the winter, as this can risk freezing pipes, especially during a cold snap. 

Smart Thermostat Troubleshooting: A Few Simple Fixes

Even with the best technology, issues can arise. Before you call us for a service appointment, here are a few simple troubleshooting steps you can try, as a smart thermostat issue can often be resolved with a quick fix.

• Check the Batteries: This is the simplest and most common fix. Many smart thermostats, like the Nest, use batteries to power the display, while others have wireless sensors that run on batteries. If your screen is blank or the thermostat is unresponsive, the first step is to replace the batteries. A low-battery alert is a clear sign, but even without a warning, it’s a great first step to rule out a simple power issue.
• Power Check: Ensure your heating system is receiving power. A tripped circuit breaker can cause your thermostat to go dark. Take a quick look at your breaker box and make sure the switch for your furnace or boiler is in the "On" position.
• Connectivity Issues: Since these are "smart" thermostats, they rely on a strong Wi-Fi connection. If the thermostat shows it’s offline or won’t connect to the app, a simple modem and router reboot can often fix the problem.

The Willowbrook Plumbing and Heating Recommendation

While the Ecobee and Nest are excellent, high-tech options that qualify for the FortisBC rebate, the Honeywell brand is our top choice for the majority of homes in and near Langley. It offers the perfect combination of smart technology and rock-solid reliability, making it a practical and effective solution for the local climate.

When you add the FortisBC rebate into the equation,  Honeywell's smart thermostats are not just a great performance choice—they're a great investment.