Free Web-Enabled Thermostats, with a Catch

A Texas utility customers is giving its customers free thermostats that can be controlled from the Web, but the power company will get some control, too.

Automating homes with Internet-controlled thermostats is really nothing new. Companies like X10, HAI and Control4 have been doing it for years, but the latest system from a Texas utility company is different in one critical way: it’s free. The iThermostat, a Web-enabled thermostat that allows homeowners to control their house temperature from anywhere, won’t cost customers a dime.

There’s a slight catch, of course. Namely, homeowners will hand over the reins to the power company during periods of peak energy usage, allowing TXU to remotely cycle on and off air conditioning between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.  The intent is to reduce stress on the utility grid during this key period to prevent brownouts and blackouts from too many people tapping in at the same time. TXU promises the off cycles will last less than 10 minutes, and will probably even be unnoticeable for most people. Consumers, however, will ultimately retain full control, and they can override the reduced consumption periods from the Web, or by calling TXU.

In exchange for some power company management in their own homes, owners get the ability to log into their thermostats from anywhere and play with the temperature. They could, for instance, turn on the heat for pets if it gets too cold when away on vacation, or get the air conditioning running before coming home from work to arrive home to a cool house (probably not TXU’s intention.) The thermostat also has four programmable temperature periods a day for automated control.

In order to get the iThermostat, TXU customers will have to enroll in the Energy Conservation Program, which requires a two-year commitment.