7 Best Smart Thermostats for Gas & Oil Furnaces (Buying Guide)

It is essential to get an adequate heating system in the United States to handle cold temperatures. Typically, Americans depend on a furnace for this reason. 

Furnace systems work in most centrally heated systems. They circulate warm water in the air via venting, using ductwork or air-registering devices for heating. 

These ductless heating systems run mostly through natural gas, fuel oil and electric power. This article looks at the best smart thermostats in heating systems. Let us assist you in finding the best smart thermostats for gas furnaces for saving energy.

The Best Smart Thermostats to Save You Money All Year Long

Just like central air conditioners, most furnaces today come with a thermostat to help regulate the temperature in your home. But unlike those old-school mercury switch thermostats of yesteryear that required regular calibration and only allowed you to set one temperature for the entire day, today’s best smart thermostats are packed with high-tech features and capabilities that can save you money all year long.

What is a smart furnace thermostat?

A smart furnace thermostat is a device that allows you to control your furnace remotely, via an app or web portal. These devices also typically offer features like energy usage tracking, scheduling, and automatic temperature adjustment based on your climate.

What are the benefits of a smart furnace thermostat?

A smart furnace thermostat can help you save money on your energy bills by allowing you to easily control and monitor your furnace usage. Many smart furnace thermostats offer features like scheduling and automatic temperature adjustment. These smart automated functions can further increase your energy savings. 

Smart thermostats for gas and oil furnaces offer added convenience by allowing you to control your furnace from anywhere using your smartphone or other mobile device.

How do we test smart thermostats?

All of the smart thermostats we recommend in our buying guide have been thoroughly tested by our team of experts. We evaluate each thermostat on a variety of factors, including ease of use, features, design, and value.

• Ease of use: We consider how easy it is to set up and use each thermostat. We also evaluate the quality of the mobile app and web portal, if available.

• Features: We evaluate each thermostat’s feature set, including energy-saving features, scheduling capabilities, remote access, and more.

• Design: We consider the overall design of each thermostat, including the size and placement of the display, the quality of the materials used, and the overall aesthetic.

• Value: We compare the price of each thermostat to its feature set and performance to determine value.

Best Smart Thermostats for Gas Furnaces

If you’re looking for the best smart furnace thermostat, you’ve come to the right place. In this buying guide, we’ll recommend the best models for a variety of budgets and needs.

Whether you want to save on your energy bills or you’re just looking for extra convenience, a smart furnace thermostat is a great addition to any home. 

Nest Learning Thermostat 3rd Generation

The Nest Learning Thermostat 3rd Generation is our top pick for the best smart thermostat for gas and oil furnaces. It features a large, easy-to-read display, and it comes with everything you need for installation, including a built-in level and screws. 

The Nest Learning Thermostat 3rd Generation also features energy-saving features like auto-scheduling and auto-away, and it can be controlled remotely using the Nest app.

The installation process takes less than 30 minutes and you can easily do it yourself without needing a professional. It is also compatible with 95% of most home heating and cooling systems and comes with easy-to-follow instructions. 

With its voice control capabilities, you can control the temperature of your house by using smart assistants like Alexa. When it comes to finish quality and design, you can choose from a wide range of finishes including metal finishes like stainless steel. 

What we like:

• Easy to install
• Remote control using the Nest app
• Energy-saving features like auto-scheduling and auto-away
• Voice control using smart assistants like Alexa
• Large, easy-to-read display 

What we don’t like: 

• Some features require a Nest Aware subscription 

ecobee3 Smart Thermostat 2nd Generation

Ecobee3’s Smart Thermostat 2nd Generation intelligently analyzes your home’s energy profile, the weather, and thousands of other data points to ensure that you’re comfortable at all times.

With its sensors, it determines whether anyone is at home and which rooms are occupied, providing comfort when you’re at home while also saving you money and energy when you’re not there.

Save money on your energy bills – ecobee has saved homeowners an average of 23% annually, quickly paying for itself.

Connect on the go – change your home’s temperature from wherever you are with your mobile device, Ecobee app, Apple Watch, Amazon Echo, Samsung SmartThings, and more

Works with room sensors (sold separately) to help manage hot or cold spots in your home, delivering comfort in the rooms that matter most.

What we like:

• The thermostat is very intuitive, turning on your heating or cooling equipment as needed.
• Knows if anyone is at home and which rooms are in use.
• With this device, you can control the temperature of your home no matter where you are

What we don’t like: 

• Requires professional installation 
• Some features require an Ecobee account and/or subscription 

Emerson Sensi Touch Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat

The Emerson Sensi Touch Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat is a great choice for those who want a smart thermostat that is easy to use and install.This thermostat has a large, easy-to-read display and it can be controlled using the Emerson app or your voice with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

The Emerson Sensi Touch Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat also features a smart maintenance feature that monitors the performance and efficiency of your HVAC system and provides tips on how to keep it running smoothly.

This smart thermostat for gas furnaces is easy to install and requires a common c-wire for most installations.

Lastly, Emerson Smart thermostats are big on privacy and keeping your personal information secure from hackers over your WIFI network or advertisers.

What we like:

• Easy to use and install
• Large, easy-to-read display
• Can be controlled using the Emerson app or your voice with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant
• Smart maintenance feature that monitors the performance and efficiency of your HVAC system

What we don’t like: 

• Does not provide usage data
• Can have issues connecting to your WIFI

Honeywell Home RTH9585WF Wi-Fi Smart Color Thermostat

The Honeywell Home RTH9585WF Wi-Fi Smart Color Thermostat is a great choice for those who want a smart thermostat that is easy to use and install. 

It features a big color screen display, and it can be controlled using the Honeywell Home app or your voice with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Microsoft Cortana, or Apple Siri.

You may also create a unique temperature schedule for each day of the week with this Wi-Fi Thermostat. You can quickly change the settings whenever schedules change. It also uses smart response technology to learn your preferences, allowing it to reach the desired temperature when you need it.

With the Total Connect Comfort app or Resideo app, you may control your Wi-Fi thermostat from anywhere. You’ll also get timely notifications, such as air filter and humidifier pad replacement reminders so you keep everything running smoothly.

What we like:

• Easy to use and install
• Big color screen display
• Can be controlled using the Honeywell Home app or your voice with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Microsoft Cortana, or Apple Siri.
• Quickly change the settings whenever schedules change
• Uses smart response technology to learn your preferences

What we don’t like:

• Requires cloud-based service subscription

Ecobee3 Lite SmartThermostat

Ecobee3 Lite Smart Thermostat is easily one of the most configurable smart thermostats on the market. You can control it with your voice, the Ecobee app, Apple Watch, Amazon Echo, Samsung SmartThings, and more.

This thermostat also features a scheduling function that allows you to set different temperatures for different times of the day and days of the week. You can also use the away mode to save energy when no one is home.

With SmartSensor, this thermostat can control individual room temperatures and detect occupied rooms. So, you can be sure your home is always comfortable.

The ecobee3 lite offers a sleek design and enhanced comfort along with impactful energy savings. With the ecobee3 lite, you may save up to 23% each year on heating and cooling expenses. Get a grip on your temperature control and convenience with the ecobee app on your iOS or Android smartphone. In comparison to a temperature of 72°F.

What we like:

• Easily configurable
• Can control it with voice, the Ecobee app, Apple Watch, Amazon Echo, Samsung SmartThings, and more
• Features a scheduling function that allows you to set different temperatures
• Reminders are given to change or schedule annual maintenance on the machine.
• Weather warnings for high and low temperatures.
• Allows you to customize the point where heat or cooling kicks in (within 5 degrees).
• You’ll be able to keep track of the temperature inside compared to the temperature outside, which may indicate the need for weatherproofing.

What we don’t like:

• Has a less intuitive user interface and software which can be difficult to use

Honeywell Home T9 WiFi Smart Thermostat

The Honeywell T9 Smart Thermostat is a Wi-Fi enabled touchscreen thermostat that can be controlled from anywhere using your smartphone or tablet. Place sensors in the rooms you wish to monitor, and adjust the temperature and humidity remotely.

You can focus on rooms based on occupancy or a particular schedule in the Honeywell Home app or with the multi-room display on the thermostat’s touch screen — for example, by focusing on rooms that are occupied at least 90 percent of the time. The T9 works to establish an average temperature by balancing demands throughout the home when concentrating on numerous rooms.

The Resideo app uses geofencing to automatically calibrate the T9 device to your schedule, so that whether you’re home or away, you can relax in comfort and save energy.

Installation with the included guide is as easy as can be. The low-voltage power adapter that comes standard makes installation a breeze, and it’s compatible with most homes – no C-wire necessary!

The T9 can be controlled with the Resideo app, Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, and more.

This product is compatible with forced air (gas, oil or electric), hot water and steam, and heat pumps with electric backup. However, it does NOT work with electric baseboard heaters (120-240V).

What we like:

• Super easy to install
• Can be controlled from anywhere using your smartphone or tablet
• The T9 can be controlled with the Resideo app, Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, and more.
• No C-wire necessary for installation!
• Comes with standard low-voltage power adapter

What we don’t like: 

• Does not work with electric baseboard heaters (120-240V)
• Some have found the customer service and tech to be unresponsive.

Google Nest Thermostat

Google Nest Thermostat can help you save energy and stay comfortable. With the Nest app, you can change the temperature from anywhere, check your Energy History to see how much energy you’ve used, and get an alert if your home is too cold or hot.

This thermostat also features Auto-Away, so it can turn itself down when you’re away to save energy. And with Nest’s Farsight feature, you can see the temperature and time on your Nest Thermostat E from across the room.

With the Google Home app, you can control this programmable thermostat from practically anywhere – whether you’re running errands or relaxing in bed. Plus, installation is a breeze and usually only takes 30 minutes or less. Keep in mind though that remote control and mobile notifications require having a working internet and Wi-Fi connection.

Alerts are designed to let you know about possible problems with your HVAC system. They’re not an advertisement, statement, or guarantee of the health of said system in any way. Always consult a professional before making decisions based off of these alerts.

The Google Nest Thermostat E is ENERGY STAR® certified and saves an average of 10-15% on heating and cooling bills. It also comes with a Nest Temperature Sensor, so you can make sure every room in your home is the perfect temperature. Savings Finder seeks for additional methods your thermostat can help you save, and it offers modifications to your schedule in the app; talk to your energy provider about incentives and other ways to save on a Nest thermostat

What we like:

• Can change the temperature from anywhere with the Nest app
• Features Auto-Away to save energy when you’re away
• Has Farsight to show temperature and time from across the room
• ENERGY STAR certified
• Saves an average of 10-15% on heating and cooling bills

What we don’t like: 

• Some have found that the Auto-Away feature doesn’t always work as intended.

How does a smart thermostat control a gas furnace?

The control board of your gas furnace receives signals from a smart thermostat, which lets you know when the temperature in your house has changed. When you program your thermostat to a certain temperature, your HVAC system will come on and off at certain intervals to keep your property as near to that target level as possible.

One of the main ways that smart thermostats save energy is by automatically turning off your gas furnace when you’re not home. This can be a big help if you forget to turn off the furnace before leaving for work or going on vacation. 

Smart thermostats can also lower the temperature of your home when you’re asleep or away, and then raise it again just before you wake up or come home, so you’re never too hot or too cold.

How to install a smart thermostat?

Depending on the type of smart thermostat that you choose, the installation process is usually easy and straightforward. However, you might want to look at the Manufacturer’s installation manual to make sure you get it right. 

1. Choose the best smart thermostat for your needs

Consider factors such as whether you want a Nest thermostat, one that works with Amazon Alexa, or one that doesn’t require a c-wire. Depending on your heating needs, you might want a Google Nest Thermostat or a T9 Smart Thermostat.

2. Make sure your furnace is compatible with the thermostat

If you have a gas furnace, make sure the thermostat you choose is compatible. The Google Nest Thermostat and T9 Smart Thermostat both work with forced air (gas, oil or electric), hot water and steam, and heat pumps with electric backup.

3. Follow the installation instructions that come with your smart thermostat

Installation is usually easy and only takes 30 minutes or less. However, make sure to read the instructions that come with your specific thermostat model.

4. Connect your thermostat to the internet

This will allow you to control it from your smartphone or tablet, as well as receive mobile notifications.

5. Configure your schedule and preferences

In the app, you can set a schedule for when you want your smart thermostat to turn on or off. You can also adjust the temperature settings to your liking.

6. Enjoy the benefits of a smart thermostat

A smart thermostat can help you save energy and money, as well as provide added convenience and comfort. With the Nest app, you can change the temperature from anywhere, check your Energy History to see how much energy you’ve used.

Final thoughts

Overall, we recommend any of the above smart thermostats. If you are just starting out with a smart thermostat, we recommend the Nest Learning Thermostat 3rd Generation as the best smart thermostat for gas furnaces. 

It features a large, easy-to-read display, and it comes with everything you need for installation, including a built-in level and screws. It is smart and can learn your preferences. 

The Nest Learning Thermostat 3rd Generation also features energy-saving features like auto-scheduling and auto-away, and it can be controlled remotely using the Nest app.