- Ecobee revealed the Smart Thermostat Essential at CES 2025
- It'll go on sale in March this year for $129.99 (about £100 / AU$200)
- Features include smart schedules, app control, and energy use reports
Ecobee makes some of the best smart thermostats we've tested, and its latest model is one of the cheapest yet, meaning it could pay for itself much faster than rivals, so you can hopefully start saving money sooner.
The company launched the affordable Smart Thermostat Essential at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, and it's due to launch in March for just $129.99 (about £100 / AU$200). That's significantly less than most smart thermostats, and around half the price of last year's Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen).
As you'd expect, Ecobee's budget model doesn't have the same AI smarts as the latest Nest, but it's still an impressive device for the money. Its features include a full color touchscreen, the ability to 'learn' how long it takes to heat and cool your home, and customizable schedules and comfort settings, enabling you to set up routines that suit your home and preferences.
Cut consumption
The new thermostat can also be controlled using Ecobee's mobile app, or via voice commands to your smart speaker. Unlike many other smart thermostats, the Essential is compatible with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant, so it should work seamlessly with most smart home setups and won't tie you to one ecosystem. There's even zonal control if you connect it to the company's remote SmartSensors, which are priced at $99.99 (about £80 / AU$160) for a pack of two.
Of course, no smart thermostat will save energy (and therefore money) if you don't use it strategically, so it's good to see that even this budget model will generate reports to show you how much you're spending heating and cooling your home, and help you spot opportunities to reduce consumption.
We're hoping to put the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential through its paces soon to see how it compares with alternatives from big brands like Google, Amazon, and Hive.
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