Netatmo drafts in EDF Energy to help sell its smart thermostat
Brits who want their heating systems to be a little more high-tech are now officially spoilt for choice, with a bunch of smart thermostat options jostling for their attention. The makers of these devices are well aware of the competition they face, which is why most have courted retail partners to add some extra marketing muscle. The latest to establish such a relationship is Netatmo, and though the outfit is a bit late to the game given it only launched its smart thermostat in the UK in September, today it's announced its new high-profile BFF is EDF Energy. Under the partnership, the energy provider will sell and install the thermostat, as well as become the primary port of call for customer support. Unlike npower's tie-up with Nest, EDF is offering this service to anyone, not just its own customer base.
The deal puts Netatmo's thermostat on a level playing field with the likes of Nest, Tado, Climote and British Gas' in-house option, but it's got a pretty competitive feature set, too. The Philippe Starck-designed device lets you schedule heating programmes and tweak the temperature when you're away from home through mobile and web apps. Its "Auto-Adapt" feature combines knowledge of the outside temperature and insulation properties of your house to predict when it needs to turn up the heat to meet a desired temperature at a set time. Furthermore, it prepares a monthly report detailing your energy usage, with advice on how to be more efficient, though at this time of year you're probably more interested in keeping nice and toasty for the duration of your post-Crimbo dinner nap.
