I stopped into the SDG&E Energy Innovation Center on Clairemont Mesa Blvd today to check out an event they were having about smart homes. If you have never been I would encourage any and all to check it out and take a tour.
A recent Press Release about holiday savings:
SDG&E customers are eligible to receive $75 instant rebates on Nest and ecobee smart thermostats – the most popular brands on the market. According to Nest and ecobee, their products can help customers cut heating and cooling costs by more than 20 percent on average. Individual savings will vary depending on customers’ usage patterns and the energy rate plans they are enrolled in. Nest and ecobee products come with mobile apps so people can remotely control their home’s temperature anywhere anytime.
Between now and the end of the year, SDG&E customers can get an instant rebate on Nest.com, or alternatively, they can go to sdge.com/instant to generate a redemption coupon in real time and redeem that code for purchase of either a Nest or an ecobee on bestbuy.com, lowes.com or participating Lowe’s stores in town (Mission Valley/San Diego, Oceanside, Vista, Santee, Otay Lakes/Chula Vista, Carlsbad, Escondido and Poway). In addition to the SDG&E rebate, Nest and ecobee also have special offers leading up to Christmas. If you spend $99 or more on any Nest product, you will receive a free Google Home Mini ($49 value). From Dec. 14 – 24, you can save an additional $50 on an ecobee4 or $20 on an ecobee3 lite.
Customers who take advantage of the instant rebates can get a bonus of up to $75, if they sign up for the SDG&E Reduce Your Use Thermostat program. Participants in this program are asked to occasionally reduce their power consumption when energy demand is high on the grid by allowing their thermostat settings to be adjusted.
Both Nest and ecobee devices are on display at the Smart Home at the SDG&E Energy Innovation Center (EIC), which is a showcase of the latest connected home technologies that not only dazzle, but can help increase energy efficiency, convenience and security.
Beyond thermostats, there are a whole host of connected home devices on the market. SDG&E customers looking for the best deals are encouraged to visit the SDG&E Marketplace web portal, where they can easily compare products in terms of prices, energy efficiency ratings, popularity ratings, and product specifications. Marketplace features everything from voice-enabled wireless speakers (such as the Amazon Echo) to smart locks and smart smoke alarms. The portal shows you which retailers are offering specific products, what prices they are selling them at, and where the stores are located in town. Users can create a personal profile to save their searches and to receive alerts on price drops and new products.
