Ecobee is poised is launch eco+, a new features that uses a variety of criteria to lower you HVAC energy consumption and associated utility bill.
Your energy use varies based on your schedule, humidity, and electricity rates. eco+ uses that information to automatically adjust your thermostat at the right time, so you stay comfortable. See that eco+ badge on your thermostat or ecobee app? That means eco+ is at work.
From the FAQ, terms of service, and this LinkedIn profile, a key component of eco+ is utility company awareness to “optimize energy usage around peak electrical rates” — possibly including ecobee logging into your electric or gas company account. And one method of tweaking system runtime is by taking humidity into account with a new “Feels Like” temperature readout: “When it’s dry, Feels Like will adjust your temperature set point slightly to keep you comfortable while saving energy.” Smart Home/Away presence detection will be updated with predictive abilities as well.
Honestly, I doubt we’ll use eco+ (nor an ecobee filter replacement service) as my wife and I are very particular about indoor temperature… although not always in agreement. Having said that, we’re definitely ready for multi-user household accounts and wish resources could be diverted to what seems like a relatively simple task, something Nest solved years ago.
(Thanks super duper tipster!)