Smart Thermostat Options - A Comparison of the Market's Smartest & Most Popular - Lincoln Electric Cooperative
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Smart Thermostat Options
A Comparison of the Market’s Smartest & Most Popular
smartphone, Google Assistant or Am- a summary of your energy use com-
By Maura Giles azon Alexa device (the Ecobee4 even pared to previous months and other
Heating and cooling costs account has a built-in Alexa-enabled speaker). Nest users.
for around half of a user’s energy bill And both thermostats can interact Ecobee must be hardwire installed,
according to the U.S. Department of with other smart devices and utilize utilizes a touchscreen and can analyze
Energy. So when it comes to reducing geofencing—using your phone’s GPS HVAC data for 18 months. All tempera-
energy use and cutting home energy to determine if you’re home, then au- ture and motion data from the ther-
costs, the most impact can be made tomatically adjusting the temperature. mostat and sensors is recorded, and
by programming the thermostat. The Nest’s geofencing works with multiple can be accessed online by the owner
right thermostat settings could yield phones, while Ecobee supports just to help you monitor total energy use,
energy savings of 8-15%, and new one phone. Ecobee makes up for this how the weather influences your use,
technology is making it easier than with its more sophisticated sensors. and how your home efficiency com-
ever to achieve those settings. The Nest and Ecobee offer for pur- pares to other users in your area.
Smart thermostats are Wi-Fi en- chase, remote sensors that allow the The two thermostats also can con-
abled and may be controlled remotely thermostat to take readings from any nect with various energy devices in
through a tablet, smartphone or voice room throughout your home and ad- your home. Ecobee recognizes dehu-
control. Some models use multiple just the temperature accordingly. This midifiers and ventilators, and Next
sensors to monitor temperatures in can be an advantage if your thermo- recognizes heat pumps and auxiliary
various parts of the home for more stat is located near a draft or in direct heat.
balanced heating or cooling, track sunlight. The Ecobee’s sensors go one For those looking for a smart ther-
user temperature preferences and step further with occupancy sensing, mostat with fewer bells and whistles,
use the data to optimize your heating which notices if there is movement the Honeywell Lyric T5+ is one of the
and cooling schedule, and some are in the house, in order to override market’s most popular, priced around
designed for complex multi-stage sys- geofencing if the primary phone user $135. While it can’t sense your pres-
tems that will control heating, cooling, leaves the house and someone is still ence or learn your schedule, it does
dehumidifier and ventilation systems. there. have the geofencing feature and can
If you’re interested in controlling While many of the features are interact with other smart-home devic-
your thermostat with your voice or an similar, there a few that are notably es, such as turning on lights when you
app, or in being hands-off and letting different and can help you determine arrive or leave home.
it learn your habits, you should con- which is right for you. Whichever fits your lifestyle and
sider a smart thermostat. To narrow Nest, powered by a rechargeable preferences, a smart thermostat is a
your choices, factor in smart features, battery, is a learning thermostat and good investment that can help you
price and attributes that matter most automatically learns your schedule. save energy and money in a more
to you, such as color, size or style, When you begin using Nest, it makes convenient way than ever.
and make sure the chosen product a few assumptions and creates a base- Maura Giles writes on consumer and
supports your HVAC system. line for its schedule. As you adjust the cooperative affairs for the National Ru-
The Nest 3rd Generation Learning temperature up or down, Nest records ral Electric Cooperative Association, the
Thermostat and Ecobee4 are the most it, and after a week, learns your sched- national trade association representing
popular and sophisticated devices in ule and the temperature settings you more than 900 local electric coopera-
this category. Both devices are usually prefer. From then, it continues to learn tives. From growing suburbs to remote
priced around $250, but consumers and respond to your adjustments. farming communities, electric co-ops
can easily recoup their money in ener- Nest also records 10 days of energy serve as engines of economic develop-
gy cost savings. use data that shows you a visual of the ment for 42 million Americans across 56
There are many similarities be- times your system turned on and off percent of the nation’s landscape.
tween the two thermostats. Both during those 10 days. Nest also sends
can be adjusted via computer, tablet, a monthly email report that includes
July 2020 • Lincoln Electric •5
Lincoln Electric Co-op | News & Views
Value of Electricity
Many of us don’t con- lives is readily apparent. lives. Although we’ve had a
sciously think about the We mournfully notice its string of prolonged outages
electricity we use every absence when the toilet lately, electricity is still a
day. We always expect the doesn’t flush. We fret over great value. Considering
lights to turn on when we what its abandonment will the sheer enormity of what
flip the switch and our mean to the contents in we rely on electricity to do
electronics to charge when our freezer. We bemoan in our lives, the cost is a
we plug them in. Electricity the fact that we can’t make bargain, especially when
is such an integral part of coffee, take a shower, or compared to other common
our lives that we often take open the refrigerator. One services and expenses.
it for granted. Many people sure way to judge the im- For example, think back
only really think about all portance of something is to to the cost of a gallon of
electricity does for them remove it from your life for gasoline or milk 20 years
when the power goes out. a few hours. ago. Consider the cost of
Manager’s Notes During an outage, how We expect an endless groceries or a cup of your
by Telly Stanger electricity powers our supply of power with favorite specialty coffee
uninterrupted service from only a few years back.
FINANCIAL Year to Date Year to Date 24/7 because electricity In comparison to most
OVERVIEW 05/31/2020 05/31/2019 is that important in our
Continued on page 7
kWh Sales 53,466,354 59,032,345 BUSINESS AND BOARDROOM BRIEFS
Revenue $ 5,207,502 $ 5,398,989 T he regular meeting of the board of trustees
Cost of Power $ 2,426,811 $ 2,649,585 was conducted on June 15, 2020. A quorum of
trustees was present and the board took the
Operating Expense $ 1,667,420 $ 2,348,315 following action:
Margins $ 485,111 $ 419,886 • Approved the review of Policies 103 - Disclosure of
Cooperative Information; and 105 - Member Atten-
Number of Members 4,734 4,638 dance at Board Meetings.
Number of Meters 6,115 6,022 • Approved changes to Policies 104 - Member Inqui-
ries; 210 - Retaliation Protection Policy; and 405 -
Miles of Line 972 968 Safety and Loss Control.
Total Utility Plant $ 33,827,048 $ 32,685,793 • Amended the regular monthly board meeting time
from 7:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
Member Equity $ 9,812,335 $ 9,675,361 • Approved a donation of $500 to KV Rangers Base-
May Average ball.
934 886
Residential Use (kWh) • Authorized using NRECA for the general manager
evaluation as part of the executive search package.
May Average $113.32 $109.14 • Approved a wage increase fo non-union employees.
Residential Billing
LINCOLN ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. BOARD OF TRUSTEES Lincoln Electric's Board of Trustees hold regular monthly
meetings at the boardroom in the cooperative office.
Wesly Loughman These are typically scheduled on the third Monday of
CONTACT President each month at 6:00 pm. Members are encouraged to
1-406-889-3301 attend. If you have any items of interest, please contact
Tina Taurman
info@lincolnelectric.coop the general manager prior to the meeting.
Vice President
www.lincolnelectric.coop
Secure Payments: 1-833-890-6258 Myra Appel NEXT MEETING DATE:
Secretary-Treasurer Monday, July 20, 2020
ALWAYS REPORT OUTAGES TO: Becky Evins
1-406-889-3301
Lincoln Electric
Michael Garner
OFFICE Joel Graves
312 Osloski Road Marianne Roose Cooperative, Inc.
PO BOX 628 Troy Truman
Eureka, Montana 59917 Ethel White
OFFICE HOURS Telly Stanger HAVE A STORY SUGGESTION?
Monday - Thursday General Manager Send your ideas to:
7:00 AM - 5:30 PM memberservices@lincolnelectric.coop
6 • Lincoln Electric • July 2020
Lincoln Electric Co-op | News & Views
Value Continued from page 6
other consumer goods, the cost of
electricity has remained largely flat.
From 2014-2019, the average price
of rent increased by nearly 4%, ac-
cording the Bureau of Labor Statistics
Consumer Price Index (CPI). The cost
of medical care increased 3% during
this time with education not too far
behind at 2.6%. So, where did electrici-
ty rank? According to the CPI, elec-
tricity increased by less than a half a
percentage point; only 0.4%.
When you think about everything
electricity means to us in our modern
lifestyles, electricity brings everyday
value. Based on Lincoln Electric’s aver-
age residential bill from 2019, the cost
of electricity was about $4.50 per day.
Many people spend that much on a
single beverage on their way to work.
For the same price, electricity can
wake you up in the morning, brew
you multiple pots of coffee, give you a
warm shower, dry your hair, keep your
food from spoiling, cook your break-
fast, provide clean dishes on which
to each that breakfast, allow you to
watch the morning news, give you a
fully charged cell phone to stay con-
nected with your family throughout PLANNED POWER OUTAGE
the day, and open your garage door. for
All this is accomplished before you’ve
even driven away for the day. All Lincoln electric members
Thinking about the rest of your day
and what electricity provides you,
the costs are minimal. Lincoln Elec-
tric provides the reliable service you
expect and deserve as valued coop-
erative members. We’re continually
striving to improve service reliability
power off at
and reduce costs to bring even more 11:00 pm on Wednesday, August 12
value into your lives.
As your trusted energy partner,
back on by
we want to help you save energy and 5:00 am on thursday, August 13
money. If you have questions about
your account or are looking for ways
to save energy at home, please give us
a call. Lincoln Electric is your cooper-
ative and our sole purpose is to serve
you and the needs of our community. All Lincoln electric members
That’s everyday value you can rely on. will be without power during Lincoln Electric
this time while our power Cooperative, Inc.
Telly supplier, Bonneville Power 312 Osloski Road
eureka, mt 59917
Administration, performs 406-889-3301
critical maintenance 800-442-2994
July 2020 • Lincoln Electric • 7
Lincoln Electric Co-op | News & Views 8• Lincoln Electric • July 2020
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