One Million Smart Thermostats Is Goal For Northern Illinois
The utilities ComEd, North Shore Gas, and Peoples Gas have partnered with advocacy groups to offered substantial rebates on the ecobee3 and the Nest Learning Thermostat. Residents of northern Illinois who purchase them can receive rebates up to $120.
“As managers of one of the largest energy efficiency programs in the nation, we are always looking for opportunities to bring value to our customers and provide them with access to new technologies that will help them enhance their electric usage, reduce costs and improve their green footprint. We are glad to be collaborating with advocacy, government, utility and product partners who have the same goals and believe that by working together, we can achieve greater success,” explained ComEd President and CEO Anne Pramaggiore.
The goal is to have one million smart thermostats installed over the next five years. Ha Thai, a communications employee at Nest, answered some questions about the campaign.
Pre-cooling and pre-heating are possible with the smart thermostat…is that possible through scheduling heating or air conditioning to turn on and off before the period when the desired temperature is achieved?
I think you’re referring to our Rush Hour Rewards service. Through Rush Hour Rewards, Nest will automatically pre-cool or pre-heat the home before an energy rush hour event takes place. During the event, the customer can adjust the temperature at any time, to ensure comfort.
What benefits for the consumer of energy would be provided by a smart thermostat?
The Nest Learning Thermostat remembers what temperatures you like, creates a custom schedule for your home, and turns itself down when you’re away. Once it’s learned your schedule, Nest has been proven to save 10-12% on heating and 15% on cooling bills. This translates to savings of $130-140 a month. (While many thermostat manufacturers claim savings, Nest is the only thermostat proven by third parties to actually save.
And if you want remote control, just use your smartphone, tablet or computer.
What benefits would be provided for a utility?
Nest provides utilities with a tool for reducing load on the grid while providing customers with a great product that drives customer satisfaction and engagement.
How did Nest select utilities in N. Illinois for partnering?
Nest works with many utilities. We are interested in bringing the Nest Thermostat to consumers across the country.
We have an existing relationship with ComEd so working together on the Million Thermostat initiative made a lot of sense.
If successful, will there be similar programs rolled out in other cities that have cold winters, like potentially Minneapolis, Cleveland, or Milwaukee?
Absolutely.
Can the smart thermostat be controlled by an app on a mobile device?
Yes, customers can access and control their Nest Thermostat through the Nest app.
We often hear about saving money by reducing energy consumption, but are there non-financial benefits as well?
Yes – when people use less energy, we don’t need to build as many power plants — this is better for everyone and better for the environment.
Image Credit: Nest
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