Solar panels, replace furnace, new thermostat.Now a cheeper way would be to reseal all windows and doors, and a new thermostat. 

Depending on the heating you have there are also different options for thermostats.

Plus, if I have some "Smart" features, I could do smart lighting, connect thermostat and all that to the same hub. 

I was lucky that my wife is a computer programmer and has been able to take some care of me and has sent our daughter to The University of Arkansas.  

All property must have a permanent thermostatically source of heat. 

My name is Zach, I am a computer programmer in Baltimore, MD.  

When the plumber went in, the only thing wrong was that the thermostat on the heater had to be reset by pushing a button. 

Provides heating and cooling, programmable.

Probably a better idea would be a remote thermostat that you can control with your phone. 

I don't want to pay for a new unit when its nothing but capacitor or a thermostat, or have a short service life capacitor installed so the Tech can get a quick callback for extra work (not all Techs are top notch in diagnosis).If you intend to learn to service your own A/C units on the fly as they go down, I'd say that's probably a rather big learning curve, and will require some specialized equipment and training on how to safely do it.The rent or buy decision aside, it's best to have a couple of experienced reliable A/C techs at your disposal.