Honeywell has entered the “smart” thermostat HVAC market with the Lyric, a unit that the company says knows when you’re coming and going, thanks to its ability to communicate with homeowners’ smartphones.

It can automatically go into energy-saving mode when a home is empty, and turn on the furnace or air conditioner when people are coming home.

A “fine tune” feature considers indoor and outdoor temperature, humidity and weather to provide the most comfortable temperature.

“Most people don’t have a predictable pattern to how they live their lives; why not have a thermostat that adjusts based on your real-time schedule?” said Beth Wozniak, president of Honeywell’s environmental and combustion controls division. “With the Lyric thermostat’s geo-fencing capability, my house returns to my preferred comfort setting when I’m within a few miles from home. Quite simply, the Lyric thermostat offers me the ability to keep my life in tune – delivering comfort when I’m home and savings when I’m gone.”

Details on the green HVAC device are at http://www.lyric.honeywell.com.