MINNEAPOLIS — Honeywell has announced the addition of time-of-use utility price schedule programming capability to its Prestige® programmable thermostat. This new smart control feature enables a homeowner to automate energy consumption based on its actual cost, bringing the benefits of a smart grid into their home.

Honeywell noted that, like long distance telephone calls, electricity prices are more expensive at certain times of the day than at others. Based on the homeowner’s programming specifications, the Prestige thermostat will automatically adjust the home’s temperature when prices are at their highest, saving energy and money for the homeowner.

“Giving homeowners the tools to interact with utilities and reduce energy use is a critical part of the emerging smart grid,” said John Tyhacz, vice president and general manager for Honeywell’s home comfort and energy systems business. “Smart controls, such as the Prestige, allow homeowners to automate their energy consumption based on price to better manage their utility costs.”

Honeywell introduced the Prestige in late 2008. A full-color, high-definition, wireless-enabled thermostat, Prestige’s patented, interview-based interface is designed to walk a homeowner through the set-up process by asking a series of questions such as “What time does the first person wake-up in the morning?” or “What time do you go to sleep at night?” The answers help the thermostat program itself — no owner’s manual is needed, said the company.

For more information, visit www.honeywell.com.

Publication date: 03/01/2010