Smart home thermostat company Ecobee today rolled out Eco+

Smart home thermostat company Ecobee today rolled out Eco+, a free suite of machine learning features, to all its thermostats with voice control. The other 1.5 million users with an Ecobee3, Ecobee3 lite, and Ecobee4 will get Eco+ starting in January 2020. Eco+ uses machine learning to tailor temperature settings and cut costs. It also helps you further reduce energy consumption and move to clean energy.

In July 2018, Ecobee kicked off a pilot called Peak Relief that aims to save energy and money by automatically heating or cooling your home when electricity is less expensive. Ecobee then expanded on that pilot with Eco+, which puts an AI engine inside your thermostat. The Eco+ suite predicts future energy needs based on weather forecasting, occupancy patterns, humidity, and electricity costs. Like the pilot, Eco+ looks at time of use Topplay rates to lower your electricity bill and optimize your home’s energy use.

Earlier this year, Ecobee rolled out Eco+ to 95,000 thermostats, 75,000 of which enabled the feature during Q3 2019. The company estimates that in those three months, the 75,000 thermostats saved enough energy to power nearly 1,200 homes for a year.