Thermostat and Substrate Questions

[spartybassoon]

I have kept many reptiles before geting into snakes, and I am familiar with using heat pads. For the record, I have never had any malfunction, nor do I know of anyone who had one malfunction until I heard of it on the boards. I do not believe that they are crucial, but they are a necessary tool if you want to avoid risks. My uth is under the glass, the spacers are elevating the tank for airflow, and at the moment there is no polystyrene. I do plan on getting a thermostat, because after learning more and more about them, I don't want to accidentally hurt or kill my animals. I have spent a lot of time in this and other forums to know what everyone thinks of thermostats (the holy grail of cage supplies), and I know these may seem like noob questions, but I just don't know anything about them because I've never used them.

Back to the original question. The uth still reads at 82 degrees, but if I get a thermostat, can that raise the temps? Ultimately, I will be using heat tape, but not until I get the final cage ready.