One year after launching Nest energy services, Nest Labs, Inc. (www.nest.com), Palo Alto, Calif., announced the results of its Rush Hour Rewards™ and Seasonal Savings™ programs. In summer 2013, Rush Hour Rewards delivered an average of 55 percent energy reduction in residential air conditioning loads during peak times while Seasonal Savings™ helped customers lower their overall air conditioning runtime by 4.7 percent.

This summer, Nest is introducing enhanced Rush Hour Rewards and Seasonal Savings programs, as well as adding new energy partners across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

“In just one year, Nest energy services have achieved significant savings – and we’ve managed to do this without compromising customer comfort,” said Tony Fadell, Nest founder and CEO. “In fact, 84 percent of customers who participated in Rush Hour Rewards and 89 percent of customers who participated in Seasonal Savings told us they were just as comfortable as they were before they participated in our energy service programs. This is critical to the adoption and ultimate success of these programs.”

Rush Hour Rewards helps people save money or earn credits from their energy providers by using less energy when everyone else is using more. With Seasonal Savings, a Nest thermostat uses its knowledge of a customer’s schedule and preferences to gradually fine-tune the temperature schedule to help save more energy. Both services are powered by Nest’s proprietary Auto-Tune™ technology and offered only through Nest’s energy partners.

Rush Hour Rewards 2.0 gives Nest energy partners the flexibility to choose between day-ahead deployment (customers are notified the evening prior to the event and the event lasts for two to four hours) or instant Rush Hour Rewards (customers can choose to be notified 10 minutes before the event and the event lasts for 30 minutes). The new option of a shorter event allows Nest energy partners to react quickly to changing weather conditions in specific geographical areas. Both versions of the program provide 55 percent energy reductions on average during peak-load times without compromising comfort.

Seasonal Savings is becoming more personal and flexible. Previously, Nest had two specific dates on which the company initiated adjustments for summer and winter. Seasonal Savings 2.0 will continue to make small, half-degree temperature adjustments over a three-week period. However, recognizing different weather and climate patterns across regions and homes, Seasonal Savings will be customized for each customer based on personal preference and weather profiles. This will increase the overall energy saved, continue to keep customers comfortable, and help with even wider adoption.

New Nest Energy Partners
To offer more people the opportunity to earn money and save energy, Nest is expanding its energy partnerships globally, adding npower in the U.K. and Columbia Gas of Ohio, ComEd, CPS Energy and Direct Energy in the United States. These companies join more than 12 existing Nest energy partners – including NRG Energy, its subsidiaries Reliant and Green Mountain Energy, Direct Energy Canada, National Grid, Austin Energy, Infinite Energy and Southern California Edison – in offering instant rebates and exclusive offers for the Nest Learning Thermostat™, as well as introducing ways to save energy with Rush Hour Rewards and Seasonal Savings.

New energy partner terms include:

• Columbia Gas of Ohio — Serving approximately 1.4 million customers, Columbia Gas of Ohio is the largest natural gas utility in Ohio. With a $50.00 instant rebate off a $249.00 Nest Learning Thermostat, customers will receive a comprehensive home energy audit that includes the installation of a Nest Learning Thermostat and energy efficient showerheads for $199.00. For more information, visit www.nest.com/columbia-gas-ohio. 
• ComEd— ComEd provides service to approximately 3.8 million customers across Illinois, or 70 percent of the state's population. ComEd customers can earn up to $140.00 for purchasing a Nest Learning Thermostat and participating in Rush Hour Rewards for the summer. For more information, visit www.nest.com/comed.
• CPS Energy — CPS Energy is the largest municipally owned electric and gas utility in the U.S. The utility’s customers in the Greater San Antonio area who purchase the Nest Learning Thermostat and enroll in Rush Hour Rewards will receive a one-time $85.00 credit on their account and be eligible for an annual $30.00 credit at the end of demand response season.
• Direct Energy— One of the largest providers of electricity, natural gas, and home services in North America, Direct Energy has extended its Nest coverage area from Canada to many parts of the U.S. Direct Energy plans to make available an offer that includes a Nest Learning Thermostat, giving customers the opportunity to save on energy costs and reduce energy use in time for the hot summer months. In some markets, Direct Energy will also offer other incentives for the Nest Learning Thermostat, as well as access to Rush Hour Rewards and Seasonal Savings.  For more information, visit www.nest.com/direct-energy.
• npower — RWE npower is a leading integrated energy company in the United Kingdom.  npower is offering customers who sign up for the new npower energy tariff “Intelligent Fix – 2017” a Nest Learning Thermostat with installation for a discounted price. For more information, visit www.nest.com/npower.

“We’re focused on giving customers across Canada and the United States greater convenience, control and empowerment in managing energy use in their homes and small businesses, along with competitive low rates,” said Direct Energy president and CEO Badar Khan. “The Nest Learning Thermostat is an innovative product that helps Direct Energy deliver not just electricity, but a real boost in household and small business management power.”

Rush Hour Rewards and Seasonal Savings Availability

Rush Hour Rewards and Seasonal Savings are available only to customers of both Nest and a participating Nest energy partner. For more information, visit www.nest.com/energy-partners. For Nest energy savings white papers, visit www.nest.com/thermostat/saving-energy.