Published On: January 14, 2025

The Ecobee Essential: A $130 Smart Thermostat That Can Save You 23% on Energy Bills

Published On: January 14, 2025
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The Ecobee Essential: A $130 Smart Thermostat That Can Save You 23% on Energy Bills

Ecobee’s new Essential thermostat brings intelligent heating and cooling to your home at a price that won’t hurt your wallet.

The Ecobee Essential: A $130 Smart Thermostat That Can Save You 23% on Energy Bills

Ecobee introduced the Smart Thermostat Essential, its latest entry-level model that aims to make smart home tech more affordable. Priced at $129.99, it’s a fresh update to the Ecobee3 Lite, the company’s previous budget option. With the Essential, Ecobee is offering a simplified version of its popular smart thermostats while keeping many of the features that users love.

The Smart Thermostat Essential takes inspiration from its pricier siblings—the Enhanced ($190) and Premium ($250)—but keeps things budget-friendly. It comes with a full-color touchscreen, slightly smaller than the higher-end models, and uses adaptive learning technology to adjust your home’s temperature based on your routine. This feature can help you save up to 23% on energy bills annually by avoiding unnecessary heating or cooling when no one’s home.

While you won’t find extras like radar motion detection or video streaming capabilities here, the Essential focuses on what most users actually need: reliable and efficient climate control. Plus, it’s compatible with popular smart home systems, including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit, so it should fit seamlessly into your existing setup.

“We believe that everyone deserves a smarter home without compromise,” said Greg Fyke, President and CEO of Ecobee. “We’re excited to add Smart Thermostat Essential to our smart thermostat lineup, making it easier than ever before for customers to enjoy the benefits of enhanced energy savings without sacrificing comfort.”

Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential.

One of the highlights of the Essential is its ability to integrate into most smart home systems. You can control it through the Ecobee app, which also gives you access to handy features like Home Energy Reports. These reports break down your energy use and offer tips on how to save even more.

For those who want to expand their system, the Essential works with Ecobee’s SmartSensors (sold separately). These sensors allow you to monitor and control the temperature in specific rooms, making it easier to maintain comfort throughout your home.

With its $129.99 price tag, the Essential goes head-to-head with other budget-friendly options like Google’s Nest Thermostat. However, there’s one key difference: while the Nest supports Matter, a universal smart home standard, Ecobee hasn’t yet added this feature to its devices. Depending on your smart home setup, this might be something to keep in mind.

The Essential is compatible with most HVAC and heat pump systems, but it doesn’t support HVAC accessories or multispeed fan systems, which could be a drawback for households with more complex setups.

Ecobee continues to emphasize sustainability with the Essential. Like its other models, the thermostat is Energy Star-certified and packaged in eco-friendly materials. It’s designed to be both durable and user-friendly, reflecting Ecobee’s focus on creating practical, long-lasting devices.

The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential is set to launch in March 2025 with a retail price of $129.99. If you’re new to smart home tech or simply looking for a budget-friendly way to manage your home’s energy use, the Ecobee Essential might be worth considering. It provides many of the core features of more expensive models while skipping the extras that might not matter to everyone.

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