Nest thermostat now available for $250 in Apple's online store

2

Comments

  • Reply 21 of 54
    focherfocher Posts: 688member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Gazoobee View Post


     


    I think it's such a huge marketing mistake for them to have that giant "72" (degrees) on the box and on all the product shots too.  They do ship these to Canada I think, and I'd be pretty gob-smacked if they didn't also do Celsius (It would actually be illegal to sell them in Canada if they didn't), but it's such a stupid move in terms of advertising their product to the rest of the world.  


     


    USA is almost the only country on the planet that doesn't have Celsius now as the official temperature standard.  To advertise your product with a temperature that would read as deadly to the largest part of your potential audience is just dumb IMO.   



    I have 4 Nests in my house (4 zones) and we have them set to Celsius. Works fine.

  • Reply 22 of 54
    jukesjukes Posts: 213member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Gazoobee View Post




    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpinDrift View Post


    I've been waiting for these to come to the UK since I first read about them. They're a cracking little device and I was even willing to change my boiler to one compatible (need a new boiler anyway). Sadly they don't make an EU version or ship outside of the US at the moment. Meh.



     


    I think it's such a huge marketing mistake for them to have that giant "72" (degrees) on the box and on all the product shots too.  They do ship these to Canada I think, and I'd be pretty gob-smacked if they didn't also do Celsius (It would actually be illegal to sell them in Canada if they didn't), but it's such a stupid move in terms of advertising their product to the rest of the world.  


     


    USA is almost the only country on the planet that doesn't have Celsius now as the official temperature standard.  To advertise your product with a temperature that would read as deadly to the largest part of your potential audience is just dumb IMO.   



     


    Every Canadian (maybe 100 people from the Toronto area) I've met knows what 72 degrees means, and could care less if it's being advertised that way. Of course, maybe the rest of Canada has forgotten, and is never bombarded by American media.


     


    I've had one of these since February, and while it's pretty, I haven't really done anything with it that I couldn't do with a simple programmable thermostat from a hardware store. Sure, programming it is a bit easier, but it achieves the same result. I guess there's an argument that, if you want to remember to constantly adjust the temperature for the first couple of weeks, it can learn the program on its own. Seems like a trivial feature for $200 though. I guess there's also some potential for interesting stuff if your house has different zones, and you wanted to network a couple of these, but how many people have that available?

  • Reply 23 of 54
    focherfocher Posts: 688member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jukes View Post


     


    Every Canadian (maybe 100 people from the Toronto area) I've met knows what 72 degrees means, and could care less if it's being advertised that way. Of course, maybe the rest of Canada has forgotten, and is never bombarded by American media.


     


    I've had one of these since February, and while it's pretty, I haven't really done anything with it that I couldn't do with a simple programmable thermostat from a hardware store. Sure, programming it is a bit easier, but it achieves the same result. I guess there's an argument that, if you want to remember to constantly adjust the temperature for the first couple of weeks, it can learn the program on its own. Seems like a trivial feature for $200 though. I guess there's also some potential for interesting stuff if your house has different zones, and you wanted to network a couple of these, but how many people have that available?



    Actually, the Nest does quite a few things automatically that a simple programmable thermostat doesn't do. It knows the outdoor temperature, and uses that information to better control the inside temperature. It monitors humidity in the air, and uses that information to better control the inside temperature. It can automatically know when you are away, turning off your heater/AC. With the AirWave feature, it can turn off the AC compressor while leaving the fan on because it knows that the compressor will remain cool for quite awhile after it's switched off. It monitors your actual energy usage. It's also Zigbee compliant, so can be used with other home automation items like closing/opening automated shades.


     


    Almost none of those things are available on a simple programmable thermostat, or even "advanced" ones. I have Nests in my house, and it easily took 25% off my utility bill compared to the programmable thermostats I replaced.

  • Reply 24 of 54
    jukesjukes Posts: 213member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by focher View Post




    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jukes View Post


     


    Every Canadian (maybe 100 people from the Toronto area) I've met knows what 72 degrees means, and could care less if it's being advertised that way. Of course, maybe the rest of Canada has forgotten, and is never bombarded by American media.


     


    I've had one of these since February, and while it's pretty, I haven't really done anything with it that I couldn't do with a simple programmable thermostat from a hardware store. Sure, programming it is a bit easier, but it achieves the same result. I guess there's an argument that, if you want to remember to constantly adjust the temperature for the first couple of weeks, it can learn the program on its own. Seems like a trivial feature for $200 though. I guess there's also some potential for interesting stuff if your house has different zones, and you wanted to network a couple of these, but how many people have that available?



    Actually, the Nest does quite a few things automatically that a simple programmable thermostat doesn't do. It knows the outdoor temperature, and uses that information to better control the inside temperature. It monitors humidity in the air, and uses that information to better control the inside temperature. It can automatically know when you are away, turning off your heater/AC. With the AirWave feature, it can turn off the AC compressor while leaving the fan on because it knows that the compressor will remain cool for quite awhile after it's switched off. It monitors your actual energy usage. It's also Zigbee compliant, so can be used with other home automation items like closing/opening automated shades.


     


    Almost none of those things are available on a simple programmable thermostat, or even "advanced" ones. I have Nests in my house, and it easily took 25% off my utility bill compared to the programmable thermostats I replaced.



     


    Those are great features from a marketing perspective but it's not clear that they actually add up to anything concrete. If you're spending 25% less on heating/ac with the nest then I have to question if you had your programmable thermostat set up correctly or if you're exaggerating a little bit. I suppose the "away" feature would be useful if your house is frequently empty for extended periods of time.


     


    Edit: I agree the Zigbee thing might matter for those who have other home automation things going, but they're also unlikely to be concerned about the extra $200 cost. I just seriously doubt that there's much utility to the nest for most people. I mainly have one because it's cool to have stuff that other people don't have.

  • Reply 25 of 54
    focherfocher Posts: 688member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jukes View Post


     


    Those are great features from a marketing perspective but it's not clear that they actually add up to anything concrete. If you're spending 25% less on heating/ac with the nest then I have to question if you had your programmable thermostat set up correctly or if you're exaggerating a little bit. I suppose the "away" feature would be useful if your house is frequently empty for extended periods of time.


     


    Edit: I agree the Zigbee thing might matter for those who have other home automation things going, but they're also unlikely to be concerned about the extra $200 cost. I just seriously doubt that there's much utility to the nest for most people. I mainly have one because it's cool to have stuff that other people don't have.



    I think you pretty much decided that the Nest is just a nice looking programmable thermostat, and wholly discount the intelligence it brings to the energy usage equation by incorporating a lot more data points beyond simply "set the temperature to X between this time and that time". I'm not suggesting it's perfect - for example, multiple Nests don't work together for efficiency sake and you're still stuck with out-of-balance AC/heating problems where the Nest's sensors aren't always where they should be to control the elements - but it's not just a nice looking thermostat.


     


    Nest is also now sending out monthly energy usage reports, and they're claiming to see real reductions over time in usage for their users.

  • Reply 26 of 54
    jukesjukes Posts: 213member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by focher View Post




    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jukes View Post


     


    Those are great features from a marketing perspective but it's not clear that they actually add up to anything concrete. If you're spending 25% less on heating/ac with the nest then I have to question if you had your programmable thermostat set up correctly or if you're exaggerating a little bit. I suppose the "away" feature would be useful if your house is frequently empty for extended periods of time.


     


    Edit: I agree the Zigbee thing might matter for those who have other home automation things going, but they're also unlikely to be concerned about the extra $200 cost. I just seriously doubt that there's much utility to the nest for most people. I mainly have one because it's cool to have stuff that other people don't have.



    I think you pretty much decided that the Nest is just a nice looking programmable thermostat, and wholly discount the intelligence it brings to the energy usage equation by incorporating a lot more data points beyond simply "set the temperature to X between this time and that time". I'm not suggesting it's perfect - for example, multiple Nests don't work together for efficiency sake and you're still stuck with out-of-balance AC/heating problems where the Nest's sensors aren't always where they should be to control the elements - but it's not just a nice looking thermostat.


     


    Nest is also now sending out monthly energy usage reports, and they're claiming to see real reductions over time in usage for their users.



     


    I'm just skeptical that the additional data points matter for most situations. I don't see how they could claim anything about real reductions with the amount of time that they've been available, it seems like you'd need historical data of at least a year to make any such statement. I also don't know how they'd be able to accurately compare with the performance of a simple programmable thermostat other than assuming that you've set the thermostat exactly like you set the nest and detecting when the single temperature data point would require heating/cooling, but the nest data points don't, and this wouldn't necessarily be applicable to someone who let the nest learn its own pattern.


     


    Overall I'm simply saying buy one because it's pretty but don't expect it to do anything magic. If you want real reductions in cost then attack first-order issues like attic insulation, windows, or an inefficient HVAC system itself. The nest is more of a second or third order solution.

  • Reply 27 of 54
    realisticrealistic Posts: 1,154member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jukes View Post


     


    Those are great features from a marketing perspective but it's not clear that they actually add up to anything concrete. If you're spending 25% less on heating/ac with the nest then I have to question if you had your programmable thermostat set up correctly or if you're exaggerating a little bit. I suppose the "away" feature would be useful if your house is frequently empty for extended periods of time.


     


    Edit: I agree the Zigbee thing might matter for those who have other home automation things going, but they're also unlikely to be concerned about the extra $200 cost. I just seriously doubt that there's much utility to the nest for most people. I mainly have one because it's cool to have stuff that other people don't have.



    Your overall comment doesn't make you appear to be very intelligent.

  • Reply 28 of 54
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member


    It is nice to have a slick high-tech thermostat, however, getting your priorities straight should be the first step in home energy conservation, starting with insulation.


     


    Sure the thermostat is only $250, but paying for itself in energy savings should not be the main goal. Long term savings are much more substantial with upgrading your doors and windows adding insulation, attic fans, servicing your furnace/AC unit, turning off lights when not needed, getting rid of the refrigerator in the garage, closing curtains, not leaving the TV on while no one is watching, etc.


     


    I live in a mild climate but I almost never need any heating or cooling when my neighbors are using theirs. All because of the quality of the home construction. 

  • Reply 29 of 54
    chabigchabig Posts: 641member


    Nest : Ordinary thermostats :: iPhone : feature phones

  • Reply 30 of 54
    jukesjukes Posts: 213member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Realistic View Post




    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jukes View Post


     


    Those are great features from a marketing perspective but it's not clear that they actually add up to anything concrete. If you're spending 25% less on heating/ac with the nest then I have to question if you had your programmable thermostat set up correctly or if you're exaggerating a little bit. I suppose the "away" feature would be useful if your house is frequently empty for extended periods of time.


     


    Edit: I agree the Zigbee thing might matter for those who have other home automation things going, but they're also unlikely to be concerned about the extra $200 cost. I just seriously doubt that there's much utility to the nest for most people. I mainly have one because it's cool to have stuff that other people don't have.



    Your overall comment doesn't make you appear to be very intelligent.



     


    Just trying to fit in.

  • Reply 31 of 54
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jukes View Post

    Just trying to fit in.


     


    By… having things that others don't… 

  • Reply 32 of 54
    jukesjukes Posts: 213member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post




    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jukes View Post

    Just trying to fit in.


     


    By… having things that others don't… 



     


    Goes along with the whole unintelligent comments thing.

  • Reply 33 of 54
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member
    I have not read the details around this product, but this is nothing new there are other similar product which work with iOS such as X10 and Insteon to name two, the only difference if this product is just specific to the thermostat.


    It obviously know not to heat or cool your house based on the iphone's locate since it not in the house it know that so it tell the unit not to hear and cool, however, what happens when others live in your home and what about when multiple people live in the home who have iphones which one does it make it decision on. I personally think this will cost you more in frustration than is will actually save on energy cost. Plus the Insteon product allow you to simple while away form the house to reprogram the set point so you can turn it down or up as you need.

    Also it appears all information is sent through their website, again why would people want to share this information with an outside source, do you really want them to know you comings and going.
  • Reply 34 of 54
    amador_oamador_o Posts: 67member


    I don't have one yet, but I've read it doesn't have a simple hold feature. Is this true? What happens when your day is not routine?

  • Reply 35 of 54
    lenardlenard Posts: 1member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Gazoobee View Post


     


    I think it's such a huge marketing mistake for them to have that giant "72" (degrees) on the box and on all the product shots too.  They do ship these to Canada I think, and I'd be pretty gob-smacked if they didn't also do Celsius (It would actually be illegal to sell them in Canada if they didn't), but it's such a stupid move in terms of advertising their product to the rest of the world.  


     


    USA is almost the only country on the planet that doesn't have Celsius now as the official temperature standard.  To advertise your product with a temperature that would read as deadly to the largest part of your potential audience is just dumb IMO.   



    Started shipping in Canada yesterday, and the temps are in Celsius

  • Reply 36 of 54
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Maestro64 View Post

    …however, what happens when others live in your home and what about when multiple people live in the home who have iPhones which one does it make it decision on. 


     


    What do you mean? It's just like iCloud: any change made is applied in the order given, overwriting the last change.


     


    Quote:


    I personally think this will cost you more in frustration than is will actually save on energy cost. Plus the Insteon product allow you to simple while away form the house to reprogram the set point so you can turn it down or up as you need.



     


    Trying to read this post was fairly frustrating. Can you please rewrite this last sentence? I'm not sure what you're saying, but I believe the Nest does it, too.

  • Reply 37 of 54
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    mstone wrote: »
    It is nice to have a slick high-tech thermostat, however, getting your priorities straight should be the first step in home energy conservation, starting with insulation.

    Sure the thermostat is only $250, but paying for itself in energy savings should not be the main goal. Long term savings are much more substantial with upgrading your doors and windows adding insulation, attic fans, servicing your furnace/AC unit, turning off lights when not needed, getting rid of the refrigerator in the garage, closing curtains, not leaving the TV on while no one is watching, etc.

    I live in a mild climate but I almost never need any heating or cooling when my neighbors are using theirs. All because of the quality of the home construction. 

    Yes, but it's trivial to replace a thermostat. It is generally not practical to change the quality of your home construction after it's built.

    if the device pays for itself in a year or two, it's a good investment - even if there are other good investments, as well.
  • Reply 38 of 54
    ktappektappe Posts: 824member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by amador_o View Post


    I don't have one yet, but I've read it doesn't have a simple hold feature. Is this true? What happens when your day is not routine?



     


    That would be a bummer. Maybe we can ask the guy who has some:


     


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by focher View Post


    I have 4 Nests in my house (4 zones) and we have them set to Celsius. Works fine.



     


    Can you comment on whether they have or lack a hold feature? Thanks!

  • Reply 39 of 54
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,408member


    Perhaps someone with some knowledge of how this works could answer a really basic (perhaps dumb) question: what is involved in setting this up in a home with five different thermostats? 5 Nests + an electrician?

  • Reply 40 of 54
    powermachpowermach Posts: 90member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by anantksundaram View Post


    Perhaps someone with some knowledge of how this works could answer a really basic (perhaps dumb) question: what is involved in setting this up in a home with five different thermostats? 5 Nests + an electrician?





     


    How does Nest work if I have multiple Nest Learning Thermostats in the same home?


     


    If you have more than one Nest Learning Thermostat in your home, they work together to keep you comfortable and save energy.




    If you have multiple thermostats in your home, you can replace any or all of them with a Nest Learning Thermostat. While Nest Learning Thermostats work just fine with regular thermostats, your home benefits from additional features when every thermostat’s a Nest.



     


    With more than one Nest, you get the benefit of Nest Sense™ from each thermostat. Each Nest contributes information to coordinate Auto-Away in your home. Only when every Nest senses that you’re away will the Nests in your home go into Auto-Away. Once one Nest senses that you’ve returned, each Nest will return to its usual schedule.


    Note: Every Nest's Auto-Away feature must be enabled for coordinated Auto-Away to work.


    While Nest Learning Thermostats will share what they sense in order to coordinate Auto-Away, each Nest will learn a separate schedule (you can control Nests separately on your Nest Account, too). Since each Nest learns a separate schedule, you can use Nest with zoned systems to create different temperatures in different parts of the house. So you can teach your Nest in the kitchen to warm up in time for breakfast, just as your Nest in the bedroom turns down for the day. 


    It’s especially important to teach each Nest to save: when the family is sleeping upstairs at night, the thermostats in the living room and the basement don’t need to be set to comfort temperatures--so teach the downstairs Nests to turn down at nighttime.

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