As it morphed into winter, I turned to my electric heater as my last line of defense against the chill.
I ran into trouble though when I actually put it to use.
The rapid increase in my electricity bill after only a few days was cause for serious alarm. A professional HVAC tech was consulted because I realized I needed help finding a way to keep warm without breaking the bank. The HVAC tech arrived on time, and after carefully checking my HVAC system, he suggested an innovative new gadget, a smart thermostat. When first introduced to the concept of a smart thermostat, I was skeptical of its utility. There was a glimmer of hope in me, but I figured I had nothing to lose by branching out. The first day was incredible, the temperature held steady at my ideal setting the entire time. Nonetheless, on day two, weird things started occurring. Even though I had the temperature at a comfortable level the night before, when I awake it had dropped significantly. The thought that my heater was broken prompted me to immediately contact the HVAC tech once more. My neighbor called me before the HVAC repairman came to inform me that I had acquired a smart thermostat without my knowledge and should take extra precautions to prevent unauthorized changes to the temperature. Though I still had my doubts, knowing that my heater was operating normally was a relief. At first, I didn’t think twice about letting anyone change the preferences on my smart thermostat. But eventually, I realized I was being reckless and started taking safety measures.