Which one should I buy? ecobee4 or Nest Learning Thermostat
What do you do every day with your thermostat especially in the winter? are you like me whereby you manually adjust the thermostat on a daily basis depending on the time of the day you are at home?
Currently I have a Honeywell thermostat.
Honeywell_Thermostat
I have to manually adjust the thermostat to 67For 19 Degrees Celsius at night when I go to bed and I leave the thermostat at this temperature during the day when I go to work. In the evening when I come home from work, the main floor (my living/dining/kitchen areas) is a little cold as I leave my window opened a little to have some fresh air inside my place. So I crank up my thermostat to around 72F or 22 Degrees Celsius. I repeat the manual adjustment of my thermostat everyday until one day I heard that with a Smart Thermostat, you can save energy (up to 23% in the cost of heating and cooling per year. This in turn saves you money as you spend less in utilities.
In addition to saving energy and money, you can also get a $100 Rebate for Ontario Homes. The rebate applies to those who live in a house in Ontario. Recently the rebate has been extended to those living in condominium or apartment in Ontario. If you rent and you’d like to explore the SMART Thermostat, you must get consent from your landlord to participate in the SMART Thermostat Rebate.
The Rebate program is administered by IESO (Independent Electricity System Operator’s). 50% of the program is funded by Green Ontario Fund and the other 50% is funded by IESO. The rebate program was launched on December 13, 2017.
I wish I have SMART Thermostat at my place. After hearing about the benefits of having Smart Thermostat and the $100 Rebate for Ontario residents, I started to do some research on the types of Smart Thermostat.
BIG Questions that everyone has when it comes to deciding on a Smart Thermostat:
- ecobee4 or Nest Learning?
- Is it easy to install? which one is easier to install?
- Is my thermostat compatible?
ecobee4:
ecobee4 |
|
|
|
|
(i.e. don’t need a battery or HVA equipment to charge itself |
|
|
|
|
Click on the Room Sensors image below if you’d like to buy the ecobee Room Sensors. In my home, my main floor is always colder and upstairs bedroom is warmer. with the room sensor this will help provide comfort at the right temperature.
If you prefer to save money, you can also purchase an older version of ecobee (ecobee3 lite). This is also eligible for $100 Rebate.
Tip: make sure to do a compatibility check to see if your thermostat wiring is compatible with ecobee4 before purchasing one. Otherwise, you will waste your time in returning the product if it is not compatible. Click “Here” to do a compatibility check and to find out How to install ecobee4 Smart Thermostat in your home.
Nest Learning Thermostat:
Nest Learning |
|
|
|
life pattern and the environment. |
|
You can control from anywhere: Control your Nest Learning thermostat from your iOS (including Apple Watch) or Android devices anywhere, anytime. |
|
|
Copper Nest Learning Thermostat:
As mentioned above, it will save you time from sending back the product if you check if Nest Learning Thermostat is compatible with your home before doing the purchase.
Click “Here” to check Nest Learning Thermostat Compatibility.
My friend installed Nest Learning Thermostat in his condo and he likes it as it learns your patterns on how warm or how cool you like your home. Once Nest Learning Thermostat learns your patterns, you hardly ever have to touch it.
Nest Learning Thermostat gives you data on the past month. It did not keep stats or reports so it is hard to see how things trend from the past several months or more.
Below are the Differences between ecobee4 and Nest Learning Thermostat
| Features | ecobee4 | Nest Learning |
| Amazon Voice Service built inside | Yes | No |
| FREE Room Sensor | Yes | No |
| Warranty | 3 Years | 2 Years |
| Learns Habits over time | No | Yes |
Summary:
It seems like ecobee4 Smart Thermostat has more features than Nest Learning Smart Thermostat. I would pick ecobee4.
However, if you like the fact that Nest Learning Thermostat learns your habits over time and automatically schedule the thermostat, then Nest Learning Thermostat is the one for you.
How to apply for $100 Rebate if you live in a condo or an apartment:
- Check if the thermostat is compatible with your home.
- Purchase and install one of the eligible smart thermostat models. (ecobee4, ecobee3 lite, ecobee3, Nest Learning Thermostat, Nest Thermostat E)
- Connect your smart thermostat to Wi-Fi then register your smart thermostat with the manufacturer online.
- Submit your rebate application through the manufacturer’s rebate portal:
- The manufacturer will send you a rebate cheque of $100 in 8 to 12 weeks. Cheque will be payable in Canadian Dollar to participant and mailed to address provided on the Rebate application. The cheque must be cashed within 6 months of issuance.
For more information on the Smart Thermostat Rebate Program, click “Here“.
New Tips that I got from my friend:
Apparently if you are a Home Owner or Renters living in single-detached, semi-detached, town homes or row homes, you are eligible to register and apply for a FREE smart thermostat from GreenON. A GreenON Installations representative will visit your home to install a no-cost smart thermostat and conduct an in-home energy review. You can choose from three smart thermostat models:
ecobee3 lite
Honeywell Lyric T6
Nest Thermostat E
- Click “Here” and go to “Register Now” and fill out 2 pages of information.
- It takes approximate a month for one of GreenON representative to contact you via email and confirm an appointment. The email will contain information on what to expect from the installation.
- You can choose one of the 3 models when you receive an email confirmation. However, for some reason if you change your mind when the representative visits your home for installation, you can tell him/her at that time your final pick.
- Once installation is complete, you can enjoy the comfort of your home with the Smart Thermostat.
Click “HERE” for more details on how to apply for FREE SMART Thermostats and booking an installation appointment with GreenON.
If you don’t mind an Older model of the Smart Thermostats, you can apply for a no-cost smart thermostat from GreenON with free installations. If you prefer to have more features and a newer model of the smart thermostats like ecobee 4, Nest Learning, then it is worth purchasing.