7 min read • Updated July 2026 • By the CliQ Team — the team that created Blink
What does a remote control thermostat get you? A "remote control thermostat" — usually sold as a Wi-Fi or smart thermostat — is a programmable thermostat you can see and change from your phone. You still set a schedule, but instead of pressing buttons on the wall, you adjust the temperature, switch the system on or off, or drop into Away mode from an app — whether you're on the couch or three states away. "Programmable + Wi-Fi" is the whole pitch: the schedule leaves the wall and lives in your pocket.
The terms get muddy fast — "remote control thermostat," "Wi-Fi programmable thermostat," and "smart thermostat" mostly describe the same thing. Below is what the Wi-Fi layer actually adds over a basic programmable, the one catch that trips people up when they shop, and how to get all of it for $69.99.
| Capability | Basic Programmable | Typical Wi-Fi Smart | CliQ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Change temp from your phone | No | Yes | Yes |
| Set the schedule in an app | No — buttons on the wall | Yes | Yes |
| One-tap / geofenced Away | No | Yes | Yes |
| Needs a C-wire | No (usually 2-wire) | Usually yes | No |
| Monthly fee | None | Sometimes | None, ever |
| Typical price | $25–$60 | $130–$250+ | $69.99 Best Value |
Remote Control, Wi-Fi Programmable, Smart: What the Names Actually Mean
Shopping for one of these gets confusing because the same product wears three different labels.
A remote control thermostat is marketing shorthand for a thermostat you can control when you're not standing in front of it — from your phone, over Wi-Fi. A Wi-Fi programmable thermostat is the same idea, named for the feature that makes it possible: it programs like a normal thermostat but connects to your home network so you can reach it remotely. A smart thermostat is the broadest term — it covers all of the above, plus extras like geofencing, energy reports, and in some cases learning algorithms.
For practical purposes, treat them as one category. If a thermostat connects to Wi-Fi and has an app, you get remote control. What separates the $70 models from the $250 ones isn't whether you can control them from your phone — it's the extras layered on top, most of which the average household never touches.
What "Programmable + Wi-Fi" Actually Adds
A basic programmable thermostat already does something useful: it runs a schedule so you're not heating and cooling an empty house. Adding Wi-Fi doesn't replace that — it fixes the parts of a programmable thermostat that quietly stop working the moment your routine changes.
1. You can change it from anywhere
This is the one that matters most day to day. A basic programmable thermostat is frozen the second you walk out the door. Forgot to turn the heat down before a week away? You're paying to warm an empty house until you're back. With remote control, you pull out your phone and fix it in seconds — from the airport, the office, or the car on the way home so the house is comfortable when you walk in.
2. Away mode that isn't tied to a fixed clock
Programming an "away" period on an old thermostat assumes you leave and return at exactly the same time every day. Real schedules aren't that tidy. A Wi-Fi thermostat lets you flip Away mode on with one tap — or hand it off to geofencing, which uses your phone's location to switch the house to its Away temperatures the moment you leave and back before you return. No fixed schedule to guess at.
3. Savings that don't depend on your patience
The US Department of Energy says you can save up to 10% a year on heating and cooling by setting your thermostat back 7–10°F for eight hours a day — while you're out and while you sleep. The catch with a basic programmable is that the savings only happen if you actually program the setbacks and never override them. Most people don't. Moving the schedule to an app, and automating Away and eco behavior, is what makes those savings reliable instead of theoretical.
ENERGY STAR–certified smart thermostats save an average of 8% on heating and cooling bills — which, at today's energy costs, works out to as much as $150–180 a year for a typical household.
Heating and cooling is 52% of a typical home's energy use. It's the single biggest line on your bill, according to the EIA. Remote control matters because it's the difference between a schedule you set once and one you actually keep running.
The Catch: Most Wi-Fi Thermostats Won't Install on a Programmable's Wiring
Here's where a lot of "remote control thermostat" purchases go sideways.
Most Wi-Fi thermostats need a C-wire — a fifth wire, labeled "C" for common, that delivers constant low-voltage power. A screen and a Wi-Fi radio have to stay powered 24/7, and that steady draw has to come from somewhere. That somewhere is the C-wire.
The problem: most basic programmable thermostats were wired before Wi-Fi thermostats existed. They run on just two wires — R and W — because that's all a simple schedule needs. The C-wire was never run to the wall. It isn't hiding behind the faceplate; it's just not there.
So the person most likely to want a remote control thermostat — someone already living with a programmable they'd love to control from their phone — is also the person most likely to hit a wall at install. Pull the old unit off, count the wires, and there are only two. Now the "simple upgrade" means running a new wire through the wall, adding an adapter at the furnace, or buying a manufacturer-specific power accessory.
A 2-wire setup isn't a problem with your house. It's a gap in how most Wi-Fi thermostats were designed. Here's what a C-wire is and why so many smart thermostats need one →
It's worth checking your own wiring before you buy anything — it takes about two minutes and tells you which thermostats will actually work. This guide walks you through how to check for a C-wire.
CliQ: A Programmable Thermostat You Control From Your Phone — Without the C-Wire
CliQ was built for exactly this situation. It's a programmable thermostat you control from your phone — full remote control, real scheduling, one-tap Away and geofencing — that installs on the two wires a basic programmable already uses. No C-wire. No furnace access. No electrician.
It manages that because the system is split in two. Most Wi-Fi thermostats put everything — screen, schedule, Wi-Fi, cloud connection — on the single unit hanging on your wall, which is why that unit needs constant house power. CliQ moves the connectivity job to a small hub that plugs into a standard outlet. The thermostat on the wall only has to read the temperature and run your HVAC, so it doesn't need a C-wire — it runs on two AAA batteries for up to three years. Remote control lives on the hub, not the wall.
Setting the schedule happens in the app, with real numbers you can see instead of a blinking wall display: morning, day, evening, and night, one routine for the whole week or separate weekday and weekend schedules. Change of plans? Adjust a phase from the couch. Leaving town? One tap for Away mode instead of reprogramming around the trip. If you want the deeper upgrade breakdown, here's the best smart thermostat for programmable thermostat owners.
And it does all of this at $69.99, with no subscription and no paid tier — every feature, including remote control, scheduling, Away mode, geofencing, and energy history, is included with the free app. Most Wi-Fi thermostats with these features run $130 to $250 or more. Smart thermostats are still in fewer than 1 in 6 US homes, according to Parks Associates, and the price-and-install friction is a big reason why. CliQ is built to remove both.
Want remote control without the C-wire or the premium price? CliQ is the programmable thermostat you run from your phone — installs in minutes.
See the CliQ Smart Thermostat →Frequently Asked Questions
What is a remote control thermostat?
It's a thermostat you can control when you're not in front of it — from an app on your phone, over Wi-Fi. Most are sold as "Wi-Fi" or "smart" thermostats. You set a schedule like a normal programmable thermostat, but you can also change the temperature, switch the system on or off, or turn on Away mode from anywhere.
What's the difference between a Wi-Fi programmable thermostat and a smart thermostat?
Very little — the terms overlap. A Wi-Fi programmable thermostat connects to your home network so you can control it remotely. "Smart thermostat" is the broader label that includes those plus extras like geofencing, energy reports, and sometimes learning features. In practice, if it has Wi-Fi and an app, you get remote control either way.
Can I control my thermostat schedule from my phone?
Not with a basic programmable thermostat — those are set only at the wall. A Wi-Fi thermostat like CliQ puts the whole schedule in an app, so you can set it, change a phase, run the fan, or switch to Away mode from anywhere. With CliQ, more than one thermostat lives in the same app too.
Do Wi-Fi thermostats need a C-wire?
Most do. A Wi-Fi radio and display need constant power, which usually comes from a C-wire. Many basic programmable thermostats run on just two wires and don't have one, which is why upgrading can be harder than expected. CliQ is the exception — its hub-based design means the wall unit doesn't need a C-wire, so it works on a standard 2-wire setup.
Is a remote control thermostat worth it?
For most homeowners, yes. The value isn't the gadget factor — it's that remote control and automatic Away mode make the energy savings actually happen instead of depending on you remembering to program setbacks. ENERGY STAR–certified smart thermostats save an average of 8% on heating and cooling, or up to $150–180 a year at current costs, so an affordable one can pay for itself in the first year.
Is there a monthly fee for a Wi-Fi thermostat?
It depends on the product. Some charge for premium app features. CliQ doesn't — remote control, scheduling, Away mode, geofencing, and energy history are all included with the free app at $69.99, with no subscription and no paid tier.
Prices verified as of July 2026. Check retailer links for current pricing.
Sources
US Department of Energy, Energy Saver — Programmable Thermostats (up to 10% savings from setbacks): https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/programmable-thermostats
US Energy Information Administration — Use of Energy in Homes (52% heating and cooling): https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/use-of-energy/homes.php
US EPA, ENERGY STAR — Smart Thermostats FAQ (8% average savings for certified smart thermostats): https://www.energystar.gov/products/heating_cooling/smart_thermostats/smart_thermostat_faq
Parks Associates — Smart Thermostat Market Assessment 2025 (fewer than 1 in 6 US homes): https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/...
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