Free Smart Thermostat? Sign Me Up!
July 27, 2023
As summer heat continues to set new records, everyone is looking for ways to stay cool. Smart home technology can help. Smart thermostats are not only convenient for the sensing capabilities, automation and efficiently managing the temperature in your home but in many areas, power companies will give you one with a great discount or even for free. As the cost of a smart thermostat certainly weighs into the decision to get one this could be your opportunity if you haven’t already made the leap.
There is a long history of utility companies incentivizing energy-saving measures dating back to well before the introduction of smart thermostats. Since the energy crisis of the 1970s, there have been various programs to encourage consumers to use energy more efficiently, reduce costs and decrease demands on the grid.
These initiatives have included everything from giving away programmable thermostats to using on-peak/off-peak pricing schedules to offering free energy audits to help people increase the insulation and energy efficiency of their homes. The current trend of offering free or steeply discounted smart thermostats is simply an extension of that general mission.
So where’s the catch? In the case of the free or discounted smart thermostats, that usually depends on how much you want to save going forward, how deep of an initial discount you want and which smart thermostat you’re interested in (or integrates with your current smart home ecosystem).
Many power companies are pretty proactive about sending out mailers and emailing customers, so if your power company offers the benefit, there’s a good chance you’ve already seen this. If they haven’t already contacted you, one of the easiest ways to check is to do a Google search for the name of your power company and keywords like ‘free thermostat’ or ‘thermostat rebate.’
Google also maintains a database of all the utilities that offer rebates, discounts, and rewards for Nest thermostat users. Even if you’re looking at a different brand, like Ecobee, it’s easy to plug your zip code into the database because if your power company supports such efforts with the Nest, they probably support it for other smart thermostats too.
There are some details around these programs you need to be aware of though. Make sure to check the fine print while visiting your power utility’s site.
Historically, many utilities have required that you have the thermostat installed by a qualified installer who would sign off on the smart thermostat’s installation status. While some utilities retain this requirement, it’s less common than it was years ago. Be sure to double check before installing the thermostat yourself otherwise you may end up forfeiting any rebates or further savings.
And while utility companies generally don’t require you to purchase your thermostat through them to qualify, doing so can make getting any rebates or savings much easier. The utility companies should have all the documentation you need.
Many power companies offer one-time rebates that may or may not cover the total price of the thermostat you want to purchase. These rebates are for established customers of the utility and typically range from $50–100 — but you’re usually only eligible once per calendar year. Similar or other basic requirements are common as well. Additionally, the rebates have nothing to do with the price paid, so a deeply discounted thermostat on Black Friday or during Prime Day qualifies.
In addition to scoring a rebate for your thermostat purchase, you can also sign up for time-of-use savings. The programs go by different names — ‘time-of-use,’ ‘demand-response,’ ‘Smart Thermostat Program’ or another similar sounding name are most common. The concept is the same across the board, though. Utility companies offer an incentive for customers to voluntarily enroll in a program that allows the utility company to adjust customers’ thermostats during peak-demand events remotely.
Right off the bat it sounds a bit drastic, and like other people, I might not want to enroll at first. But if you read the fine print for the programs, it’s not a big deal. Typically these programs are active during the hotter months of the year (May to September) but not on holidays or weekends (except in instances of extreme demand on the grid). When they happen, your power company remotely turns your thermostat up a few degrees to decrease the demand residential AC use puts on the power grid.
If you enroll in one of these programs, it’d be a good idea to consider supercooling your home at night. You’ll use power when it’s cheapest, and your home will be pre-cooled on those days the high-demand events occur. If your home is already equipped with a smart thermostat you should be able to still enroll in one of the smart thermostat time-of-use programs. One thing to keep in mind, WiFi and always-on internet are required for the programs as the thermostat remaining online is crucial for the remote-adjustment function. And for your troubles, the typical reward for signing up for time-of-use programs is a one-time payment of $75–100 in the form of a gift card or bill credit. It’s incredibly common for utility companies to offer a smaller ongoing reward for continued participation, typically $25–45 once a year. These are usually paid on the anniversary of your enrollment in the program or at the end of the peak-demand season.
If for some reason none of these options is available or work for you, a smart thermostat is still a great idea. Amazon currently has the Honeywell Home WiFi Smart Color Thermostat on sale or the Amazon Smart Thermostat. You can check on a variety of options in my post earlier this year — Smart Home Thermostats 101.
As you can see, there are a lot of options and programs out there to help you cheaply and economically control the temperature of your home. I’m curious how many of you out there already have smart thermostats. Which model and what do you like best about it? Do you leverage voice assistants like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistantor Apple Homekit to adjust your smart thermostat? If you don’t have a smart thermostat, are you thinking about getting one with the discounts or rebates?
Let Debbie and I know in the comments, DMs and emails as we really enjoy hearing from you. Thanks again to all those following Debbie and I through our home building journey. It’s great to hear your success stories and suggestions as we move through the process. And if you like the content I’m posting each week, don’t forget to ‘Like’ and ‘Follow.’
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