Blew $180 on a 'green' smart thermostat that saves nothing in my drafty 1910 duplex
The installer even said it would pay for itself in 18 months, but my heating bill actually went up $23 in January because the algorithm ignored my radiator schedule, so does anyone here have a cheap programmable timer that actually works with old steam heat?
Nothing says "smart" like a gadget that costs you money and pats itself on the back for saving the planet. Your thermostat is basically a roommate who cranks the heat and then lectures you about your carbon footprint. For steam heat you want a basic line voltage timer at the boiler, not some wifi box that thinks it knows your radiators better than you do.