Is it time to upgrade from thermostat covers?
Technology is changing everything. The ways in which we interact, spend free time, reveal the gender of our babies, and do business have all shifted in this new age of technology at our fingertips. But not everything has evolved at the same rate.
Thermostat lock boxes could use a face lift
While most common items have seen a technology-influenced upgrade in recent years, the bulky thermostat cover remains low-tech. These unsightly plastic boxes can be spotted anywhere-- from your favorite restaurant, to your office, even in your home! How often do we trade aesthetics for HVAC control? And just how simple it is to manipulate these pesky boxes?
A thermostat cover hypothetical
According to a 2015 survey by Survey Sampling International, some 3 in 5 employees tamper with the office thermostat without asking colleagues. That’s a lot of unwarranted thermostat adjustment. But, you have a lock box so you don’t have that problem, right? Not so fast... Did you know almost all thermostat guards use the same key? Not saying it’s the same key that opens your niece’s diary, but...
Here’s where our hypothetical situation begins. Let’s say thermostat guards have upped their game. There is no way for frigid, unauthorized fingers to open your thermostat lockbox. You’re secure! Until the innovative employees you hired get busy doing exactly what you hired them to do-- innovate. Internet message boards are brimming with ways to manipulate your thermostat and its plastic barrier. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, but while you’re in important meetings contributing to the success of your company, your employees may be putting bags of ice on the lock box, poking paper clips through the holes, taping cardboard over the openings, being the innovative individuals you hired! Maybe you don’t have as much control as you thought.
But, just for FUN, let’s keep going. Your employees, patrons, kids, etc. are no longer exploiting your thermostat and its manipulatable lock box. You sent a memo requesting strict adherence, everyone obliges, and your energy costs are under your complete control (I told you this would be fun!).
One problem solved, but there is still major waste in this process. How much time does it take for you or your maintenance/facility manager to manually adjust each thermostat every day? Somebody is too hot, someone else is too cold. Have you spent half of your morning running around the building, adjusting thermostats in an attempt to please everyone? Oh, and it’s Friday, so the day ends and there you go again from thermostat to thermostat adjusting for the weekend. Now you’re late for happy hour (not so fun anymore, huh?). Aren’t there better uses of your time and resources?
The future is here
The need for a tamper-proof thermostat solution is the top reason facility managers, school principals, landlords, and store managers replace their low-tech thermostats and lock boxes with our modern solution. With Sensi Multiple Thermostat Manager, you can lock, monitor, and fully control all of your wifi thermostats from one portal. Gone are the days of lock boxes, office thermostat wars, and daily thermostat adjustment runs. Our technology has made building HVAC management a breeze.