Please obtain the Energy Star Smart Thermostat Certification for your thermostat and get energy companies like PSE in the Puget Sound to include it among their supported thermostats.
Just FYI, for people wondering the same.
I was looking forward to an energy bill rebate from Puget Sound Energy (PSE) for a smart thermostat. Wyze Thermostat is not on their list, because it is not certified. (Doesn’t Wyze HQ use PSE utility in Kirkland?)
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Doesn’t seem right? The crummiest washing machines are “Energy Star Certified”. How could a little smart thermostat not be?
Im trying to find where they posted it, but they said that while it does qualify, it needs to be available for a certain period of time and then that data provided to Energy Star in order for it to be certified.
Edit: Here’s the info from the EPA. They want a year of data. https://www.energystar.gov/products/heating_cooling/smart_thermostats/key_product_criteria
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Bummer. I should have gone for the Nest. $130 minus a $75 rebate sounds better since it is Google’s backend (as a Google Home user). Wyze’s backend leaves a lot to be desired with constant downtime. That future Wyze sensor better makes up for it then!
I filled out an application request for a rebate for my Wyze Thermostat with Mass Save, a company that offers energy-saving incentives through my local utilities.
I got a letter from them today saying that my thermostat was not eligible for a rebate because it’s: “NOT PROGRAMMABLE”
Could have fooled me. Although I am not currently using the feature, it seems to me that I can set a schedule for a whole week on my thermostat. Is that not “programmable?”
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That is the first I have heard of that reason. I know for some it has not been out long enough. Some places want a year of real world data before they will allow rebates.
Chuan said their trying to get it Energy Star certified, maybe that will help.
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I just got off the phone with a Mass Save representative and she said to me that she can’t give me a rebate because the thermostat is “not EnergyStar approved.” I pointed out to her that two rebates are available – one for programmable thermostats and one for EnergyStar thermostats. But even though the Wyze thermostat is a smart programmable one, she kept insisting that I can’t get a rebate for the reason above.
The Wyze Thermostat is programmable - there is no ENERGY STAR certification for programmable thermostats. The ENERGY STAR certification is for smart thermostats. You should definitely qualify for the programmable thermostat rebate. Sometimes the efficiency program representatives have a list they’re working from that hasn’t been updated or it might just be that they don’t know what they’re talking about and you could try to speaking to someone else. Sorry for the response to an old topic, but thought it worth mentioning that you should absolutely qualify for the $25 rebate, just not the $100 rebate.
The Wyze thermostat isn’t currently Energy Star certified, but I believe it could qualify.
From the Energy Star website:
What is a smart thermostat?
A smart thermostat is a Wi-Fi enabled device that automatically adjusts heating and cooling temperature settings in your home for optimal performance.
It could potentially qualify, but ENERGY STAR has a certification process requiring the thermostat to prove that it can reduce energy usage even in the absence of WiFi. Because they require actual data samples, the Wyze thermostat had to be in market long enough before they could even submit an application.
Here is a 2-page summary of the spec if you’re interested: https://www.energystar.gov/sites/default/files/ENERGY%20STAR%20Program%20Requirements%20for%20Connected%20Thermostats%20Version%201.0_0.pdf
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Exactly. I was told that the Wyze thermostat was too new and wasn’t on their list yet.
Was just looking at smart thermostats to replace an old Honeywell and was surprised to see Wyze thermostat still is not Energy Star Certified. Has then been an update on this from @Chuan that I’ve missed since this update 2 years ago?
Certainly they have over a year’s data now - is it not providing the energy reduction and cost savings projected? Have those early adopters, did/have you seen the energy savings in your electric and gas use?
None
Does getting certified also require Wyze to allow energy providers to control your thermostat remotely without your consent?
Just curious to know if that is part of the requirement to getting certified, as if it is, and Wyze joins that, we will switch to another brand. In fact, this is why we moved to Wyze thermostat because Ecobee was raising the temps in our house to ~85 degrees in the summer.
All that stopped once we installed the Wyze thermostat…
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Thanks for pointing this out! I just looked it up and apparently energy star certification DOES mean that it works with “utility demand response programs” that allow utilities to make automatic adjustments during peak times. Apparently some utilities give rebates and incentives if you allow them to do this. I read that it is supposed to be possible to opt out of an event in various ways, such as through the phone, web-browser, or thermostat itself, or by contacting the utility provider and opting out.
I would only accept the Energy Star Certification if it was possible to permanently opt-out of the “Utility demand response programs” with a setting/toggle and not having to opt out of each event individually or rely on the utility to honestly opt me out by asking them. If an opt-out setting/toggle is not possible, then I would personally prefer that this device remain uncertified.
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In Illinois (Chicago area), our electric utility company, ComEd, offers a $75 rebate on smart thermostats, but only if they’re Energy Star certified. I’d love to buy Wyze, but I think I may have to go with a Nest instead since they’re certified.
For a measly $75, personally, I’d prefer to keep my right to control my own thermostat.