Smart scheduling aims to use cheaper, non-peak power
Ecobee has launched a feature for its smart thermostat range, aimed at saving you money on your electricity bills.
The new Peak Relief service works by learning your schedule and adapting it around peak usage hours, when the cost per kWh can soar. If you like to have your home at a toasty 22 degrees for when you get home (typically a peak time), Ecobee will start heating your home earlier in the day, using cheaper power.
Nest uses much the same technology, but few other smart thermostat makers have really delved into this aspect or use case.
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The scheme is starting as a pilot right now in Arizona, California and Ontario. You’ll also need the right kind of utility set-up – and this applies to those on hour-by-hour billing. The features will also only be part of the Ecobee 3, Ecobee 3 Lite and Ecobee 4 thermostats.
While smart thermostats have long been a product of convenience, they can also solve a wider range of issues. With the focus on smart meters helping to offer customers ways to save energy, is it time utility companies pushed smart thermostats with the ability to take pressure off over-loaded grids?
