About Nest thermostat savings

Google Nest thermostat energy savings projections are based on data from actual household use of our thermostats, studies and experiments performed by Nest, as well as multiple independent studies conducted by third parties and energy companies. On average, customers who install a Nest thermostat save money on their heating and cooling bills.

This article applies to the following Google Nest thermostat models in the US and Canada:

Nest Thermostat
Nest Thermostat E
Nest Learning Thermostat

How to tell which thermostat you have

Thermostats matter a lot for overall energy use

In the average home, heating and cooling account for about half of energy use as determined by the US Department of Energy. This means that a thermostat that efficiently controls your system can have a significant impact on your home energy use and can reduce your overall energy bill.

In February 2017, the Nest Learning Thermostat became the first programmable thermostat to receive an ENERGY STAR® certification. The newer Nest Thermostat E and Nest Thermostat are now also certified. ENERGY STAR is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) voluntary program that helps businesses and individuals save money and protect our climate through superior energy efficiency.

Ways Nest thermostats can help you save

Here are a few of the ways that Nest thermostats can help reduce the amount of energy used by your heating and cooling system:

Use Eco Temperatures

When you first install your thermostat, you'll select
your Eco Temperatures. Eco Temperatures are used by
your thermostat to help save energy. You can change
the Eco Temperatures you've chosen at any time on
your thermostat or with the app. To help save more
energy, you should keep energy efficiency in mind
when setting your Eco Temperatures.

The exact temperatures you might pick will vary depending on
your preferences. You should keep in mind how well
insulated your home is, what the weather is like where
you live, if you have any pets, or other things that
might influence what temperature you're comfortable
with choosing.

Tips for choosing energy efficient Eco Temperatures

Your thermostat can automatically switch to your Eco Temperatures when you leave using Home & Away Routines (Home app) or Home/Away Assist (Nest app). If you’ve chosen energy efficient temperatures, this means that you’ll use less energy because your thermostat won’t turn on your heating and cooling systems as often while you’re gone.

You can also use Eco Temperatures while you’re home to help maximize energy savings.

If you set Eco Temperatures on a Nest
Thermostat or Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen),
your thermostat will switch out
of Eco at the next scheduled temperature
change, but you can set a temperature hold
if you want to stay in Eco mode.

Note that if you turn on the Adaptive Eco setting on Nest
Learning Thermostat (4th gen), your Eco Temperature preset
adjusts based on the current outdoor temperature so that whenever
you’re away from home, your thermostat will keep the temperature
in your home within one hour of your Comfort temperature.
To prevent your system from turning on while Auto-eco is active,
turn off Adaptive Eco. For instructions, refer to Adaptive Comfort and Adaptive Eco.

Nest thermostat e heating

If you set Eco Temperatures on a Nest
Thermostat E or Nest Learning Thermostat
(3rd gen or earlier),
your thermostat will stay set at your
energy-saving temperatures until you
manually switch it out of Eco.

Switch to energy-efficient temperatures automatically when you’re away

Help take care of your HVAC system's health

Program an efficient schedule automatically

Make small adjustments to save energy

Find the Nest Leaf to help you choose efficient temperatures

Savings results with Nest thermostats

Multiple studies, including those run by energy companies independently from Nest, have shown that on average customers save 10-12% on heating and 15% on cooling after a Nest thermostat is installed. Based on typical energy costs this means a savings of $131-145 a year.

Where those numbers come from

How much energy can you save?

How different manufacturers calculate savings

Energy savings can be an important part of deciding which thermostat to purchase. But, not all estimates of potential energy savings from a thermostat are created equal.

Different ways manufacturers calculate energy savings

There are a few different ways that energy savings estimates are made.

Manufacturers can:

Use a model with an imaginary customer and some assumptions to estimate savings.
Examine real world data before and after installation in real customer's homes.
Design a controlled experiment to measure thermostat energy savings.
Use a mix of these and other methods.

Check out these different methods in more detail:

Imaginary customer to estimate savings

Real world customers and data to calculate savings

Methods Nest uses to calculate savings

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