So Far, I Like the Nest Thermostat!

Nest Thermostat Reports

In June 2012 I installed 2  Nest Thermostats (order them on Amazon) in my home.. It takes a few months for the Nest to learn our home’s temperature habits. Over the first few weeks, just adjust the temp to the temp you wish and it begins to learn those habits and then you don’t have to worry about anymore. It learns your life! So the data is starting to reflect our usage. Here is the snapshot that Nest sent me via email showing the comparison of August to September usage.

Nest Thermostat Reports

Reports from Nest Thermostat

This accurately reflects the reduced temperatures for the month of September. I will be curious to see if our usage will be different next year in comparison. I would say we keep our home a bit cooler than others, but the Nest has allowed us to better manage those cooler temps for efficiency. The Nest tracks that efficiency by how many Leafs are earned each month, we are slightly above average, more Leafs more efficiency. Now to see the results in a reduced power bill over time, which we’ll be able to see in future statements. It’s fun to see daily usage on the web app or smart phone app but I find that the real interesting data is the data over time.

I do use the smart phone app to check in on the Nests when I’m away to see if they are behaving normally. It’s easy to check in from anywhere you have an internet connection.

So far I’m very impressed with the results and think it was well worth the $249 purchase price. Now the Nest has been upgraded; a 2nd generation version will be released soon and is available for pre-order: Nest Learning Thermostat – 2nd Generation-Amazon or you can also purchase the 1st generation for a lower price of $229: Nest Learning Thermostat – 1st Generation-Amazon

So far the only difference I can see between the 1st and 2nd generation versions is the size. The 2nd generation version is a bit slimmer and may have better compatibility with low voltage systems. Both my Nest’s auto updated to the version 3.0 software all by themselves.

I’ll be to see what happens over the winter months, to both my power bill and my natural gas bill as my heat is natural gas.

What’s been your experience with the Nest Thermostats?

Have you considered purchasing one? If so, I’d be grateful if you used one of the Amazon links above as I receive a small referral fee.