Last month, Commonwealth Edison announced a rebate program for the installation of smart thermostats, which learn people’s behavior in a home and adjust heating/cooling use to when a home is occupied or about to be occupied. Not only can they reduce homeowners’ utility bills, they can be used to reduce energy usage during high-demand periods.
Other utilities have joined the smart thermostat bandwagon, but the Illinois initiative — a partnership between ComEd, Nicor Gas, Peoples Gas, North Shore Gas, the Environmental Law & Policy Center, Citizens Utility Board, Nest Labs and ecobee — is the largest effort of its kind in the nation, the ELPC reports. ComEd serves northern Illinois, including the Chicago metro area, and has nearly 4 million customers.