Ecobee Unveils HomeKit-Enabled Smart Thermostat Essential for $130

[MacRumors]

Smart home accessory maker Ecobee has announced the Smart Thermostat Essential, a more affordable alternative to the Smart Thermostat Premium and Enhanced models in its lineup.

Priced at $129.99, the Smart Thermostat Essential includes a full-colour touchscreen, and features Ecobee's standard scheduling and comfort settings that adapt to household routines, optimizing energy use when nobody's home. With the device, Ecobee claims customers can save up to 23% on annual heating and cooling costs, covering the cost of the device in just six months.

The unit integrates with the Ecobee mobile app to allow remote control of heating and cooling. Users can receive automatic alerts when potential issues are detected, as well as Home Energy Reports that provide insights into energy use. The thermostat can also be paired with optional Ecobee SmartSensors to further optimize household comfort in the rooms that are used most.

The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential is compatible with most major smart home ecosystems, including Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant, and will be available from major retailers and at ecobee.com from March 2025.

Article Link: Ecobee Unveils HomeKit-Enabled Smart Thermostat Essential for $130

 

[powaking]

Here's a link if you want to know the differences between the 3 in their lineup. https://www.ecobee.com/en-us/smart-thermostat-essential-ces/

 

[turbineseaplane]

Just picked up an Ecobee Enhanced for $50 on FB

LOVE the thing -- Wish I'd done it sooner

 

[leonmckee]

Installed a Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium in a rental that had a dumb thermostat with electric strip based forced air heat. Big bills! The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium has paid for itself many times over. Also increased comfort. Impressive product.

 

[iMac The Knife]

I have the Amazon smart thermostat, and the only thing I don't like about it is the 3 degree range in temperature that cannot be changed. Meaning I have to set it to 67-70, 69-72 and so forth. I want my house temp to only fluctuate by 1 degree, depending on the time of the year. For those with experience with other smart thermostat's, is this possible with a different brand?

 

[turbineseaplane]

I have the Amazon smart thermostat, and the only thing I don't like about it is the 3 degree range in temperature that cannot be changed. Meaning I have to set it to 67-70, 69-72 and so forth. I want my house temp to only fluctuate by 1 degree, depending on the time of the year. For those with experience with other smart thermostat's, is this possible with a different brand?

Oh yeah -- I would never tolerate that

 

[iMac The Knife]

Oh yeah -- I would never tolerate that

Which brand do you recommend?

 

[turbineseaplane]

Which brand do you recommend?

Ecobee is outstanding
You'd think it's an Apple product (in a good way)

Which ecobee depends upon what of their features you want/need (extra sensors, etc)

 

[ralphdaily]

I have the Amazon smart thermostat, and the only thing I don't like about it is the 3 degree range in temperature that cannot be changed. Meaning I have to set it to 67-70, 69-72 and so forth. I want my house temp to only fluctuate by 1 degree, depending on the time of the year. For those with experience with other smart thermostat's, is this possible with a different brand?

I set my Ecobee to two degrees which is the smallest.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I set my Ecobee to two degrees which is the smallest.

?
Is that an older model?

My Ecobee enhanced can be set in 1 degree increments

 

[ralphdaily]

I have had Ecobee for years and enjoy changing the set temperature during the night from the Ecobee app on my Apple Watch

 

[iMac The Knife]

Ecobee is outstanding
You'd think it's an Apple product (in a good way)

Which ecobee depends upon what of their features you want/need (extra sensors, etc)

I will check them out, thanks! I don't really care about any extra bells and whistles. As long as I can set a schedule with whatever degree temps I want, I'm good.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I will check them out, thanks! I don't really care about any extra bells and whistles. As long as I can set a schedule with whatever degree temps I want, I'm good.

I honestly interact with mine fully with Apple Home now that it's set up -- it's really outstanding

I'm perhaps a little biased by the value, as I got it for "new open box" for $50 (not the $170+ it retails for)

It's been as low as $150 on Amazon it looks like, but I'd check your local area. Thermostats are always something being sold for mega discounts by folks who change their mind, or didn't realize it won't work for them (no C-Wire, etc) or missed a return window...

 

[I7guy]

Smart home accessory maker Ecobee has announced the Smart Thermostat Essential, a more affordable alternative to the Smart Thermostat Premium and Enhanced models in its lineup.

Priced at $129.99, the Smart Thermostat Essential includes a full-colour touchscreen, and features Ecobee's standard scheduling and comfort settings that adapt to household routines, optimizing energy use when nobody's home. With the device, Ecobee claims customers can save up to 23% on annual heating and cooling costs, covering the cost of the device in just six months.

The unit integrates with the Ecobee mobile app to allow remote control of heating and cooling. Users can receive automatic alerts when potential issues are detected, as well as Home Energy Reports that provide insights into energy use. The thermostat can also be paired with optional Ecobee SmartSensors to further optimize household comfort in the rooms that are used most.

The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential is compatible with most major smart home ecosystems, including Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant, and will be available from major retailers and at ecobee.com from March 2025.

Article Link: Ecobee Unveils HomeKit-Enabled Smart Thermostat Essential for $130

Ecobee needed a better thermostat in its lineup.

But the spelling of “colour” sort of tickled me for some reason.

 

[Rychiar]

Does anyone really pay full price that they need the discount thermostat?Just go to your electric companies website and get it subsidized. I think I paid $60 for the the premium ecobee

 

[allpar]

If nobody mentioned this ... most modern thermostats have no program for steam heat, so ask the company before buying if you use steam! The main difference is a steam boiler can take 40-60 minutes to get heat to the radiators, so the lead time is much longer than ordinary hot-water or air heat (which typically have different settings even on smart thermostats). Then once the radiators are hot they stay hot, so basically it has to call for heat MUCH earlier and then stop asking for it earlier. Hot air is pretty much "ask when you need it and shut off when you reach the temp" and hot water is between them...

I don't know how Ecobee manages this but most modern thermostats I've seen don't have a steam setting. I ended up reverting to the antique mercury switch dial for that reason. (I do have the highest efficiency boiler I was able to get, insulated well beyond spec on the steam pipes.)

 

[August West]

I have the Amazon smart thermostat, and the only thing I don't like about it is the 3 degree range in temperature that cannot be changed. Meaning I have to set it to 67-70, 69-72 and so forth. I want my house temp to only fluctuate by 1 degree, depending on the time of the year. For those with experience with other smart thermostat's, is this possible with a different brand?

Yes. On my older Ecobee 3 the differential temperature is independently adjustable for the heat and cool modes. I assume the current models have the same feature.

 

[allpar]

Thanks. That's good to know. Though it'd be nice if they had suggested pre-sets.

I've found steam heat requires a lot more thought from the home-owner with regard to setup and maintenance, but it rewards you when power goes out and you can get heat for several days from a car battery If my system controller was the 12V variety rather than the 120V option - I have no idea why anyone would want 120V for the electronics - I could probably make it for several weeks. It only uses 3-12W at 120VAC... the inverter uses more power than the boiler, I think.

Appreciate the quick reply. Maybe I'll get one o'them Ecobees.

 

[BrianM_CAN]

I've had an Ecobee 3 since 2015, it's been great (central heating furnace, natural gas). Highly recommend them.

(I do also have a Mysa Thermostate for electrical baseboards on the 3rd floor, because Ecobee didn't have a product that handled the baseboards)

 

[MacFarmer]

so smart still, still cant sell it in EU. meh

 

[allpar]

I've had an Ecobee 3 since 2015, it's been great (central heating furnace, natural gas). Highly recommend them.

(I do also have a Mysa Thermostate for electrical baseboards on the 3rd floor, because Ecobee didn't have a product that handled the baseboards)

I have a Meross device for one heater that plugs in, but it's nothing I'd rely on. I reboot the hub every week with an automated switch, since it seems to be able to go for around ten days before freezing up, but sometimes it doesn't recognize all its devices until I reboot them as well.

 

[willzyx]

Had a few ecobees running for years now and zero issues. Still getting updates too. Ask any HVAC guy and they all recommend ecobee over nest. Easier to install, easier to troubleshoot. Fantastic support.

 

[Rumoresque]

Smart home accessory maker Ecobee has announced the Smart Thermostat Essential, a more affordable alternative to the Smart Thermostat Premium and Enhanced models in its lineup.

Priced at $129.99, the Smart Thermostat Essential includes a full-colour touchscreen, and features Ecobee's standard scheduling and comfort settings that adapt to household routines, optimizing energy use when nobody's home. With the device, Ecobee claims customers can save up to 23% on annual heating and cooling costs, covering the cost of the device in just six months.

The unit integrates with the Ecobee mobile app to allow remote control of heating and cooling. Users can receive automatic alerts when potential issues are detected, as well as Home Energy Reports that provide insights into energy use. The thermostat can also be paired with optional Ecobee SmartSensors to further optimize household comfort in the rooms that are used most.

The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential is compatible with most major smart home ecosystems, including Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant, and will be available from major retailers and at ecobee.com from March 2025.

Article Link: Ecobee Unveils HomeKit-Enabled Smart Thermostat Essential for $130

I unfortunately bought one of these. It’s crap. The software is ridiculously complicated and unintuitive. And now it just “checks out” periodically and doesn’t regulate my system’s functions until I disconnect and reboot it. And even then it’s a crapshoot as to whether it’ll comeback. I hate it.

I might add - their customer support is non-existent. I can’t even get someone on “live chat”. And of course there’s no phone help.

 

[leonmckee]

One area that most "smart" thermostats are missing out on is mini and multi split installs (proprietary controls and IR crap). I'm building my retirement home over the next few years and hope the better brands get their stuff together. It's a big market! Solutions need to be install and setup friendly for the average consumer and not just techies like us.

 

[bigandtasty]

I'm still running original 1st gen Nest thermostats in both my house and cabin. Been a great solution when not around for months at a time. It has been great and able to update with every new software version. Wonder what makes Ecobee so much better as a ton of people on this thread are currently using Ecobee. Going to need to check these out!