Ecobee smart thermostats offer new technology to increase member comfort, improve the efficiency of your home and lower electric bills. Depending on the model that is right for you, you can stay in control of your energy use even when you are away from home through your phone, a website or even through Alexa.
Managing the temperature in your home is the largest portion of your monthly electric bill, and York Electric is here to help keep your costs low. That’s why we have implemented the new Smart Thermostat Program, bringing a quality product to you at a discounted rate while allowing you to control energy savings when you are away.
Speaking of savings, signing up and purchasing an ecobee will also help your co-op keep power costs low for all members. When we predict peak events or when most people are consuming a lot of energy at the same time, YEC can work to precool or prewarm your house to offset the demand for electricity. You will receive a notification on the device of your choice and have the option to opt-out if it isn’t the best time for you. To say thank you for doing your part, participating members can receive a $100 bill credit after their first year.
We are excited about offering this new technology at a discounted rate to our members and look forward to seeing what we can do together to help hold down the cost of electricity. We’re locals looking out for you, and with the help of technology, we’re always tracking the latest buzz on energy trends.
Brent Clinton
Energy Services Representative
Smart Thermostat FAQ
Any YEC residential members who have a reliable WiFi internet connection in their home.
An ecobee3 lite will be discounted to $85 for YEC members, and an ecobee SmartThermostat with Alexa Voice Control will be discounted to $145 for YEC members.
Whomever you choose. After the thermostat is installed and we verify the signal, YEC will reimburse you $75 towards your installation cost. You will also be required to provide your receipt.
Members who purchase a smart thermostat will need to participate in at least 60 percent of peak events throughout the year to receive $100 after one year. If you continue to participate in 60 percent of peak events, you will also receive $50 yearly.
It’s easy to get started.
- Complete and sign the participation agreement (PDF download below) and bring it into our York headquarters or Fort Mill office to purchase the thermostat of your choice; see options below.
- Or apply online here
York Electric’s smart thermostat program gives members the opportunity to purchase an ecobee smart thermostat at a discounted rate. Members can also bring their own eligible smart thermostats. By participating in the program, members will agree to allow the cooperative to control the thermostat during peak periods.
- You must be a member of York Electric;
- You must sign the participation agreement;
- You must have an internet-connected, Wi-Fi enabled home.
A smart thermostat is a programmable thermostat that connects to your home’s WiFi and gives you the ability to adjust your thermostat setting to fit your schedule and save energy.
York Electric members can purchase the ecobee3 lite and/or the ecobee SmartThermostat with Alexa Voice Control. Both have digital touchscreen displays and both can be controlled and scheduled using a computer or device (phone or tablet).
The ecobee SmartThermostat with Voice Control has Amazon Alexa built-in. It is voice-activated and has many of the features that come with Amazon Echo devices. The ecobee also comes with an added room sensor to provide more effective cooling and heating.
About 5-6 times per month, the thermostat will be adjusted remotely based on system-wide peak periods.
The events will be 4 hours total, which includes a one-hour pre-cool/pre-heat period and three hours of peak-saving adjustment. The control will follow this pattern:
Pre-cooling/pre-heating: +/- 2 degrees
First hour: +/- 2 degrees
Second hour: +/- 3 degrees
Third hour: +/- 4 degrees
SUMMER EXAMPLE
If you normally have your thermostat set to 75, a typical control event beginning at 3 p.m. would look like this:
3:00-4:00 p.m.: Thermostat adjusted to 73
4:00-5:00 p.m.: Thermostat adjusted to 77
5:00-6:00 p.m.: Thermostat adjusted to 78
6:00-7:00 p.m.: Thermostat adjusted to 79
After 7 p.m.: Thermostat returns to 75, control relinquished
WINTER EXAMPLE
If you normally have your thermostat set to 67, a typical control event beginning at 6 a.m. would look like this:
6:00-7:00 a.m.: Thermostat adjusted to 69
7:00-8:00 a.m.: Thermostat adjusted to 65
8:00-9:00 a.m.: Thermostat adjusted to 64
9:00-10:00 a.m.: Thermostat adjusted to 63
After 10 a.m.: Thermostat returns to 67, control relinquished
You’ll be notified of control during peak times on the device’s display with an option to override. You can override control up to 40 percent of the time. If you were to exceed 40 percent, a member is not eligible for participation credit per year.
When the cooperative purchases power, energy at those peak hours is more expensive. The more we can cut down on how much energy is used during those periods, the lower our power bill will be. We will use that savings to hold down costs for our members.
