# nest thermostat



## mrski57

anybody have one? what do you think of it?


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## AntAltMike

Is someone trying to sell you one?


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## JACKIEGAGA

Is it even out yet?


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## hilmar2k

JACKIEGAGA said:


> Is it even out yet?


No.


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## Herdfan

It is expensive, but I may get one for my parents for x-mas. The idea that they would be able to easily control it from an iPad sitting in their living room would be great for them.


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## dpeters11

Interesting idea, but in my house, at least in the summer, things seem to go better if I keep the AC at the same temp all the time. Maybe it's partly no cold air returns upstairs, or lack of wall insulation and bad windows.


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## SayWhat?

Y'all sleepin' in trees, or what?


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## hilmar2k

SayWhat? said:


> Y'all sleepin' in trees, or what?


SayWhat?


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## Cholly

Okay, so it's a real thing -- a learning thermostat!

http://www.nest.com/living-with-nest/
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/edwardbaig/story/2011-10-25/nest-thermostat-review/50917506/1


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## SayWhat?

So it isn't a thermostat for a nest?


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## phat78boy

I will be getting a couple when they come out. Programmable thermostats are nice, but if your away from your house for the weekend or have a holiday coming up....they are no better then a regular one. I like the fact they have motion sensors, talk with each other, and are controllable via a phone or computer. Seems like they could easily pay for themselves over a year or two. 

PS....lock out code for youngsters, finally.


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## hilmar2k

Yeah, I'm all over it as well when released.


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## bobnielsen

It wouldn't work here (baseboard heat with line-voltage thermostat). At least I found some programmable models at Lowe's.


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## Beerstalker

Seems interesting, but too expensive for me. I'll stick to my programmable thermostat. The learning function of the nest sounds interesting, but I think it would just end up being more of a pain in the butt. Once I have my thermostat programmed I don't mess with the programing very often.

Mine has a simple home today button, so if there is a weekday where the heat/air conditioning would normally be turned down from 9 to 5 I can just hit the "Home Today" button and it will treat it like a weekend and keep it on all day.

Mine has vacation hold, so I can just set it at a certain temp and it will keep it at that until I turn off the vacation hold. So in the winter if we are leaving for a few days I just turn it down to around 50 when we leave it it will just keep the house at 50 until we get back and then I turn off vacation hold and it goes back to the normal programming. The only problem with that is the house is really cold when we get back and it takes a few hours to warm back up. The ability to go online from a computer or my phone a few hours before we get home to turn it back on would be nice, but I'm not sure it's worth that much.


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## SayWhat?

^^ Yeah, that's kind like me. I set it and forget it. No daily up and down. I keep it around 60 all season. Heavy blankets and sweats work just fine for me. Hot chocolate, coffee or cider if I need something extra. Propane ain't cheap any more.

It's amazing what a couple of logs in a wood stove can do though to take the edge off. I've got quite a bit of wood here on the property so that's free. Well maybe not free when you consider chain saw gas and labor, but it's cheaper than propane and electricity.


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## Davenlr

Useless for me. Heat on during the night, A/C during the day for several months a year. Until they make one smart enough to switch itself from heater to A/C, Im sticking with my old programmable.


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## SayWhat?

I never understood that either. You set a temperature, the 'stat should switch internally to either heat or cool to maintain that temp.


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## klang

Davenlr said:


> Useless for me. Heat on during the night, A/C during the day for several months a year. Until they make one smart enough to switch itself from heater to A/C, Im sticking with my old programmable.


My systems are run by Amana thermostats that automatically switch back and forth. I have Cool set to 76 and Heat set to 72 and they switch back and forth as needed. Part number 1F95-398 although these are a little over 4 years old.

Edit: Current models.


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## harsh

phat78boy said:


> Programmable thermostats are nice, but if your away from your house for the weekend or have a holiday coming up....they are no better then a regular one.


If you plan on being away for a time, you can certainly set any thermostat (programmable or not) to hold at an arbitrary temperature.


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## harsh

SayWhat? said:


> I never understood that either. You set a temperature, the 'stat should switch internally to either heat or cool to maintain that temp.


I'm told that this was a fan speed control issue because the fan is supposed to run faster when the AC is on and how that was achieved varied between manufacturers.


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## Laxguy

Control from an iPhone or iPad is exactly what I am looking for. Are there other candidates anyone can recommend? 

Will it relay the temp of the house back to the 'Phone or 'Pad?


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## dennisj00

I just received the Nest and installed it in about 30 minutes total. Took longer to find a wall anchor in my stash! (it comes with a variety of screw sizes but no plastic anchors.

Very interesting design / interface. You can control it from an iPhone / iPad (also supports Android)- basically anything done on it locally can be done remotely. And to answer LAX above, it shows current temp / settings on the phone in addition to changing the settings.


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## Laxguy

Nice, Dennis; and thanks. Sounds great. Currently renting, but a candidate for purchase one of these days. It'll be the first improvement I make....


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## dmspen

One of the 'issues' I read about the NEST is that it uses a motion sensor to determine that you're not home. It's part of the way it learns.

My thermostat is in a small hallway that is not traveled often. To get full learning functionality, be sure it's in a place that can see normal traffic. If you just end up setting it for specific times and temps you may as well save your bucks and get a standard programmable thermosat for 1/4 the price.


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## billsharpe

No need for a Nest or even programmable thermostat here. From June to October we leave the thermostat turned off. The rest of the year we set it at 72 daytime and turn it down a bit at night.


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## Laxguy

billsharpe said:


> No need for a Nest or even programmable thermostat here. From June to October we leave the thermostat turned off. The rest of the year we set it at 72 daytime and turn it down a bit at night.


I keep mine at 64 during the day, up to ca. 68 in the evening, down to 58 at night. Still would enjoy a programmable!


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## dmspen

Basic programmable thermostats are fairly cheap, easy to install, and will pay for themselves. Laxguy, even in the East Bay there are cold days. If your thermostat is set to 64 while you're at work, the heater will come on in the winter. I live in the South Bay and my programmable thermostat is set to 40 while we're at work. It's set to 66 at 3pm so the wife is comfortable when she gets home. It goes down to 60 at 11 pm and 68 at 7 am. The big saving is in the summer with air conditioning.

Granted, our gas bill is not very big, but if I saved $1 month, that would be good. I've had the thermostat for over 7 years. It's more than paid for itself.


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## dennisj00

They just recently updated the firmware with some new features, daily history shows graph of runtime, and AirWave(tm) - the first feature cuts the AC unit off early and runs the fan 5-10 minutes to distribute the cool air that's in the ductwork.

It's a very impressive unit compared to other programmable thermostats. (Trane has a color touch-screen unit that's almost $1000!)


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## Laxguy

So cool!.... or warm, depending on the season. Oooomph. Bad attempt. 

Anyway, I really like the concept to be able to check the temp of house when away, to turn the heat down if one is away unexpectedly, and to turn it on an hour or so before returning from a trip, night on the town, unexpected errands, etc.


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## austen0316

Has anyone seen the nest going for less then $250? I need two since I have dual zone.


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## Yoda-DBSguy

austen0316 said:


> Has anyone seen the nest going for less then $250? I need two since I have dual zone.


There are a couple up for auction on ebay currently at $212 - $227 (after shipping; howeber the auctions still have from 15 hours to 5 days to go. Given the fact that both auctions say no returns I'd be scheptical to pursue that avenue with the potential of a defective unit being possible.


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## photostudent

An A/C once told me programmable units do not work well with heat pumps. If they try to raise temp too quickly the coils kick in and really suck juice. At any rate we would need one with a biosensor for my wife.


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## timf

I've been using the Nest for the past 4 months and while I've been reasonably happy with it, I am preparing to replace it with a Trane XL950 when I install a new furnace and A/C. The learning feature sounded cool at first, but I found it was easy to just use the preset schedule feature and that way I got the exact time and temperature changes that I wanted.

Things I like:
The ability to access my thermostat from anywhere with no additional charge.
It is aesthetically pleasing and gets a lot of comments from people who come over.
The schedule is easy to program from a computer and can be set to change as many times a day as you want.

Things that should be improved:
The Auto Away function works erratically - some days it triggers and some days it doesn't. It also likes to trigger on weekend mornings when I sleep in, so I wake up to a cold house. I turn my thermostat down during the day anyway so it's of little significance.
The feature that tracks energy usage tries to tell you what caused your energy usage for the day to increase or decrease, but it acts illogically at times. I rarely adjust the thermostat, but it often tells me my adjustments impacted usage. It also fails to indicate weather as the cause of decreased usage on 70 degree days where the furnace wasn't required.
At its heart, the Nest is still just a basic on/off thermostat. It can work with two stage furnaces but beyond that it won't handle more than your basic system. Other intelligent thermostats such as Ecobee can handle a much wider range of systems.

The Nest looks cool, but ultimately hasn't really made my old system any smarter than my old programmable thermostat other than allowing me to access it online. It will find a new home at my parents house, but my new system should work much better at balancing the comfort level of my home.


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## hilmar2k

All I really need/want is a good programmable thermostat with web access. Unfortunately, most of the ones I have found require a power line from my furnace, which I don't have. The Nest does not.


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## dpeters11

Bumping an old thread, but they are releasing a new version of Nest. The new one has the same basic hardware, but thinner and has more support for systems. If you already have a working one, no need to replace. Worth looking into if you were interested in Nest, but have an incompatible heating/cooling system with the first version.

There's also a new version of the software, Android and Kindle tablet support etc. The software update will be available to all Nest units.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-32973_3-5...slimmer-sleeker-thermostat-smarter-than-ever/


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## dpeters11

New update, version 3.5 is being loaded onto units.

New features include Sun Block where it detects that a measured temperature change is due to sunlight hitting the unit. Advanced fan control to have only the fan on for certain periods. Cool to Dry will turn on the AC even if it is at the target temp if the humidity is too high. It will shut off automatically if the humidity isn't actually lowering.

They also made changes to auto away.
This update is compatible with both generations, though fan control requires a system that has a G wire to control only the fan.

http://www.nest.com/blog/2013/04/29/new-summer-software/


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## Chris Blount

> New update, version 3.5 is being loaded onto units.
> 
> New features include Sun Block where it detects that a measured temperature change is due to sunlight hitting the unit. Advanced fan control to have only the fan on for certain periods. Cool to Dry will turn on the AC even if it is at the target temp if the humidity is too high. It will shut off automatically if the humidity isn't actually lowering.
> 
> They also made changes to auto away.
> This update is compatible with both generations, though fan control requires a system that has a G wire to control only the fan.
> 
> http://www.nest.com/blog/2013/04/29/new-summer-software/


Looks pretty cool. Looking forward to the update.


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## Chris Blount

BTW, I've had mine since December and here is what I think.

I have auto programing turned on but ended up doing a lot of the programming myself. Programming was real easy on the iPad app. I just setup 1 day and copy/pasted that over to the other days and changed what I needed. Very cool.

Occasionally I deviate from the schedule on the weekends and adjust the thermostat. Over a few weeks, the Nest learned what I was doing and inserted those temps into my already set schedule. Kinda like that.

When you walk up to the thermostat, the display is supposed to automatically light up. That part doesn't work so well. Sometimes I have to wave my hand in front of the unit to get it to light up. This is a documented issue and I hope Nest fixes this with the new software update. Apprently the first generation models don't have this problem.

Last year when I got my first wifi enabled thermostat, I had my installer come out and hook up the common 24v line (the C wire). Now I'm glad I did this. The C wire provides constant voltage to the Nest's interior rechargeable battery thus keeping it charged at all times. If you don't have a C wire, the battery is charged using the other wires when the HVAC system is running. This can be an issue as the battery can run down and cause a headache as wifi is the first to get cut when the battery is low. I highly recommend having the C wire connected or face possible issues with connectivity and other problems with your HVAC system. Won't happen with everyone but you never know.

The Auto-Away feature is a bit erratic. Sometimes it turnes on when I'm away, sometimes it doesn't. Apparently the new software might address this issue so I guess we will see.

I kind of like the airwave feature. When the fan stays on after the compressor outside cuts off, it really does help cool the house just a bit more.

The hot Texas summer will be a good test to see if we save energy as compared to last year.

Remote programming is nothing new to me as I had a wifi thermostat before the Nest but I really do like how easy the iPhone and iPad app work. It shows the outside and inside temperature and gives me a graphical illustration of the weather outside (sunny, cloudy, rainy, etc).

Overall, I really like how it works (and looks).


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## wxguy

harsh said:


> I'm told that this was a fan speed control issue because the fan is supposed to run faster when the AC is on and how that was achieved varied between manufacturers.


I've got a Carrier thermostat that is at least 15 years old. It auto switches between heating and cooling as needed. Most of the time Fan speed is controlled by the computer card on the air handler (furnace/ac) depending on what is being called for. A/C uses faster fan speed cause cold air is denser and the extra push gets it through the ducts easier. This stat is smart enough to ease the temp up in the morning when starting up after being set back during sleep hours. That way you don't get a big blast of hot first thing.

That is why the Nest is interesting. Very expensive and doesn't even do what my ancient stat does. Marketing makes it sound nice but it doesn't really do anything a cheap setback stat would do. OK, maybe wifi is cool, but how often to you actually touch it once it is programmed?


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## Phil T

I tried a Nest for about 2 weeks in January. Since I am retired the auto programming was a pain for me. I don't have a set schedule so all my coming and going at different times had it turning up and down the heat when I didn't want it, most of the time. I replaced it with a Honeywell wifi thermostat from Home Depot that I really like:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Honeywell-Wi-Fi-7-Day-Programmable-Thermostat-Free-App-RTH6580WF/203556922?N=c5kl#.UX7eIyuFTyc

I can control it from the iPhone and I just leave it on hold and control it as I need it. It is great for older folks with a large readout and big soft buttons for up and down.


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## dpeters11

There certainly is more they can do in the future, they have hardware in there that's not even used.

I also didn't know that they can target updates. I didn't get 3.0.6 for example because of my wiring configuration so the changes didnt affect my system.


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## trh

dpeters11 said:


> New features include Sun Block where it detects that a measured temperature change is due to sunlight hitting the unit. Advanced fan control to have only the fan on for certain periods. Cool to Dry will turn on the AC even if it is at the target temp if the humidity is too high. It will shut off automatically if the humidity isn't actually lowering.


While the Sun Block is a nice feature, I'd suggest that if your thermostat is located where it is in direct sunlight, it should be relocated.
The Cool to Dry sounds like it was designed to solve the problem where AC contractors install over-sized units in homes. An over-sized unit will cool the house sooner than a right-sized unit, but that shorter cycle typically doesn't leave the unit on long enough to remove the humidity.


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## sum_random_dork

hilmar2k said:


> All I really need/want is a good programmable thermostat with web access. Unfortunately, most of the ones I have found require a power line from my furnace, which I don't have. The Nest does not.


I have 2 Nest thermostats set up, one of which Nest didn't "advise" me on but I was able to get to work w/out the correct power running from the heater. You can take an 18-22v power adapter and strip the wires to plug into the Nest. There are a few Youtube videos out there that really explain this. When I was on with Nest support because one of mine didn't work they hinted there were other options but they couldn't advise me on them. I was lucky and found an old power adapter I had laying around that worked fine.

I have had my original Nest set up for over a year now and the 2nd one for around 9 months without any issues. Being able to check the temp of the house and adjust the thermostat if needed is great. I also have used the ability to turn the system "away" when I am gone, you can either do it via the thermostat or if you forget you can do it via the app which I really like.

I saw a few people have asked about pricing, if you look on Amazon and sometimes Lowes you can buy the 1st version of Nest for less than the 2nd version.


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## dpeters11

trh said:


> While the Sun Block is a nice feature, I'd suggest that if your thermostat is located where it is in direct sunlight, it should be relocated.
> The Cool to Dry sounds like it was designed to solve the problem where AC contractors install over-sized units in homes. An over-sized unit will cool the house sooner than a right-sized unit, but that shorter cycle typically doesn't leave the unit on long enough to remove the humidity.


In my house, unless I moved it to the second floor, there is no wall I could put it on that in an inside wall that would not be hit by the sun (other than curtains of course).


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## trh

Good point. People who live in glass houses will really find this feature useful.


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## dpeters11

To me it's kind of like why not. It already has the sensors etc so it might as well do this.


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## Chris Blount

I got the 3.5 update yesterday on my Nest. They also updated the iPad and iPhone app as well to reflect the new features.


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## dpeters11

Same here. They said everyone would be done by 9pm, at 7:30 I didn't have it, but later that evening, it was there.


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## RunnerFL

Chris Blount said:


> I have auto programing turned on but ended up doing a lot of the programming myself. Programming was real easy on the iPad app. I just setup 1 day and copy/pasted that over to the other days and changed what I needed. Very cool.


I was actually coming here to bump this old thread to ask everyone what their preference was on this. My Nest v2 will be here tomorrow and I was just pondering whether or not I'd program it myself or let auto program do it's thing. My schedule is pretty set, except for my weekends, so I thought programming it myself may be the best bet.

I was also going to ask what the consensus was on using manual away. How long does one need to be "away" before it's worthwhile? Should I go "away" just to go do my grocery shopping, go out to dinner, etc or use it only if I'm going to be gone for longer periods?


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## dpeters11

I use auto away in winter when we are at work. I don't use it in the evening, and auto away is disabled at night by default.

Summer is different as its hard to cool this house.


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## Chris Blount

RunnerFL said:


> I was actually coming here to bump this old thread to ask everyone what their preference was on this. My Nest v2 will be here tomorrow and I was just pondering whether or not I'd program it myself or let auto program do it's thing. My schedule is pretty set, except for my weekends, so I thought programming it myself may be the best bet.
> 
> I was also going to ask what the consensus was on using manual away. How long does one need to be "away" before it's worthwhile? Should I go "away" just to go do my grocery shopping, go out to dinner, etc or use it only if I'm going to be gone for longer periods?


Well, I can tell you that auto-away kicks in about an hour after you leave the house.

For me, using the away feature (either manual or auto) makes a big difference on consumption.


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## RunnerFL

Chris Blount said:


> Well, I can tell you that auto-away kicks in about an hour after you leave the house.
> 
> For me, using the away feature (either manual or auto) makes a big difference on consumption.


Ok, sounds like I may let auto-away do it's thing. Most of the time I'm only gone about 30 to 45 mins at a time running errands but other times I may be out 2+ hours for a movie, dinner, etc.

How sensitive is the motion detection on it? Mine will be mounted in the hallway leading to my bedroom and I may or may not walk past it every hour. I guess what I'm asking is if I'm sitting on the couch for 2 hours watching a movie will auto-away kill my A/C because I haven't walked down that hall?


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## Chris Blount

> Ok, sounds like I may let auto-away do it's thing. Most of the time I'm only gone about 30 to 45 mins at a time running errands but other times I may be out 2+ hours for a movie, dinner, etc.
> 
> How sensitive is the motion detection on it? Mine will be mounted in the hallway leading to my bedroom and I may or may not walk past it every hour. I guess what I'm asking is if I'm sitting on the couch for 2 hours watching a movie will auto-away kill my A/C because I haven't walked down that hall?


Yes, that can happen. It has happened to me. When it does, I usually have my iPhone or iPad around me so I simply disable auto-away (the app will ask you if you want to turn it off temporarily since you are there). It has actually saved me energy since I don't realize auto-away is enabled until the house starts getting warm which could be a few hours.


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## dennisj00

It works so well, I've pretty much forgotten about it. We were away Friday night and returned mid-morning. . . I should have called home about an hour before we got there.


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## RunnerFL

Thanks for the info guys, it was super easy to setup. Now let's just see what it learns.


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## The Merg

You'll like it. Since installing it, my energy bills have definitely dropped. I love seeing the Green Leafs and knowing that I am conserving energy each month.

- Merg


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## RunnerFL

I'm already seeing how small changes in temp/time can make big differences in energy usage. I'm also amazed and how much heavy thunderstorms bring my energy usage, A/C wise, down.


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## RunnerFL

Chris Blount said:


> Yes, that can happen. It has happened to me. When it does, I usually have my iPhone or iPad around me so I simply disable auto-away (the app will ask you if you want to turn it off temporarily since you are there). It has actually saved me energy since I don't realize auto-away is enabled until the house starts getting warm which could be a few hours.


I woke up this morning and found a message on my Nest saying that it had learned auto-away. Since then it's kicked off twice on me today while I was just sitting on the couch watching tv. lol


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## NR4P

You see this? Nest advertising claims challenged. They have to back off on some of their claims. 

http://www.asrcreviews.org/2013/06/nad-recommends-nest-labs-modify-discontinue-certain-advertising-claims-for-nest-programmable-thermostats-claims-challenged-by-honeywell/


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