For utilities, smart thermostat programs more than a ‘set it and forget it’ effort

Energy News Network: Illinois’ largest utilities are not on pace to meet ambitious smart thermostat goals, and their experiences illustrate some of the challenges with getting customers to adopt new energy-saving technologies.

Smart thermostats are part of a growing number of energy efficiency tools developed in recent years that can be monitored and controlled remotely by users. The thermostatshave been shown to reduce customer energy bills, and in large numbers they could significantly reduce electric grid load, especially during hot summer months when air conditioning use is high.

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