Ecobee3 Wi-Fi-enabled thermostats have the potential to provide both energy efficiency and wholesale power cost savings that the cooperative could pass on to member-owners. The devices also offer member-owners an easy and convenient way of managing comfort and the power bill.
Program Details
Member-owners must have a WiFi connection.
Your cooperative will adjust your thermostat by 3 degrees to reduce usage during peak periods.
Adjustments may happen up to 8 times per month during the winter/summer months when peak usage is highest.
Member-Owner Benefits:
FREE Ecobee3 thermostat and installation
$4 monthly credit to your electric bill
The ecobee3 is a new “smart” thermostat that allows you to:
- Control your thermostat from your smartphone or computer.
- Understand your energy consumption in real time.
- Improve the efficiency of your home.
Its roots are like those of a programmable thermostat, but its design is sleek and modern, and it functions intuitively and all on a touch screen, like your smartphone or tablet.
There are two reasons:
First, we are committed to helping you find ways to save energy and money, and we think this thermostat will do both of those things. Energystar.gov estimates that homes with programmable thermostats can save up to $180/year in heating and cooling costs, but the thermostats have to be programmed correctly. The technology behind the smart ecobee3 thermostat makes programming and controlling your thermostat easy and, well… kind of fun!
Second, after installation is complete, your ecobee3 will receive signals from Roanoke EC during times when the demand for electricity is greatest and therefore most expensive. In the summer, this usually happens a few times a month in the late afternoon when temperatures and humidity are high.
Our signals, which will be accompanied by a message to your thermostat and an e-mail, will raise the summer and lower in the winter the temperature of your thermostat by a few degrees, but never to a level that is uncomfortable. And you always have the option to override the signal and continue operating your ecobee3 at your desired temperature.
By lowering energy use throughout our system during times of peak demand, we are able to lower our power costs. Because electric cooperatives are not-for-profit, those savings are passed on to you.
There are no costs to buy the ecobee3 thermostat.
No! There are no costs for the ecobee3 thermostat. Only savings!
If you are a cooperative member-owner with Wi-Fi connectivity in your home, you are an eligible participant.
Yes, churches are welcome to purchase a thermostat as well.
You are welcome to participate with just one thermostat, or if your home has multiple thermostats (and outside units), you can replace as many thermostats as you see fit.
Yes, but you will not receive a monthly credit of $4.
An energy advisor of Roanoke EC will install your thermostat for FREE.
This program is designed to help member owners become more energy aware. It will help member-owners lower their power bills by using energy more efficiently and by reducing the energy consumed during peak times when prices are highest. Member-owners also receive a $4 monthly bill credit for participating.
Call our office at (252) 209-2236 and we’d be glad to answer them!
- Roanoke EC is committed to protecting our members’ security and personal information.
- As advances in technology change the way people manage their energy consumption, we are working with partners that allow us to offer new tools to help members better understand and manage energy use.
- In selecting these vendors, we vet security practices and chose partners who, like us, are committed to protecting consumers’ privacy and information.
- Ecobee has multiple security best practices in place to protect data. These include:
- Thermostats are built to support recognized security standards (WEP, WPA, and WPA2 security) for connecting to Wi-Fi networks.
- Ecobee products and services use an SSL connection to ensure the highest level of security, a connection that is commonly utilized by banks, government agencies, and e-commerce sites to ensure privacy and the protection of personal information.
- No account or billing information is transferred by ecobee thermostats.
- Data transmitted is limited to just thermostat information (set points, indoor/outdoor temp, etc.) that is necessary to control interior temperature.
- All data transmitted to and from the device is encrypted and authenticated at both ends of the connection.
- Ecobee web portal requires a password of eight characters and features a 15-minute time-out, as well as an account lock after five failed attempts.
- Ecobee has physical security in place to protect hosting facilities.