Ecobee just launched a surprisingly affordable smart thermostat at CES 2025

An entry-level smart thermostat can make a huge difference in energy costs, with the benefit of not taking on a large upfront cost. Ecobee is launching a new Smart Thermostat Essential, an affordable and easy-to-install smart thermostat that doesn't skimp on the smart home experience.

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"We believe that everyone deserves a smarter home without compromise," said Greg Fyke, president and CEO of Ecobee. "We're excited to add Smart Thermostat Essential to our smart thermostat lineup, making it easier than ever before for customers to enjoy the benefits of enhanced energy savings without sacrificing comfort."

Energy-saving opportunities 

The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential appears to replace the Ecobee3 Lite Smart Thermostat, the company's previous budget-friendly thermostat, launched in 2016. The new Thermostat Essential features a full-color touch display, and it can optimize your home's climate to save you up to 23% on energy costs in a year.

Like other Ecobee thermostats, you can use the mobile app to manage your home's temperature and maximize cost savings on utility bills. For example, you can use the smart component to create schedules and adapt the thermostat to your home's routine, saving energy while you're away instead of simply maintaining a temperature hold like a traditional thermostat.

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The new thermostat also provides Home Energy Reports in the app, which gives insight into any energy-saving opportunities that could help reduce utility bills. The Thermostat Essential can be paired with Ecobee SmartSensors to optimize climate control in certain rooms.

Available this spring

The Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential will be available in March 2025 for $130. It is compatible with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant.

Ecobee also showcased its new Generac integration at CES 2025, showing how the smart home platform can work with the Generac PWRcell 2, an energy storage system.

"We're committed to providing seamless solutions that make home energy management smarter," said Fyke. "Together with Generac, we're taking that mission to the next level -- delivering integrated energy solutions that empower homeowners with greater control over their energy consumption and backup power."

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The integration works with Ecobee's Smart Thermostat Premium and Enhanced and lets users view the status of their PWRcell 2 from their Ecobee Thermostat. The latter also alerts customers of power outages and adjusts temperature settings to conserve energy.

The company plans to launch the integration of Generac PWRcell 2 and Ecobee smart thermostats into select markets in mid-2025. For a limited time, customers who purchase a PWRcell 2 system will receive a complimentary Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced.