Black Friday Deals: Nest's fourth-gen smart thermostat looks like a pricey investment, but there's a lot more to this device than a pretty screen and beveled edges. When this thermostat isn't on sale, it pays for itself in less than a year -- but during Amazon's Black Friday sale, you can buy one for $230. That represents an 18% discount on the retail price, or $50 in savings.
This smart thermostat's learning features and eco-friendly suggestions can save you around $20 per month, especially on expensive winter heating. That means it'll eventually pay for itself, like mine did this fall, and with this Black Friday deal, you can reach that point a few months earlier than I did. After that, the extra savings are just money in your pocket. There's no better time to make this prudent investment than during Black Friday.
CNET's key takeaways
$230
Automated Eco Modes make energy saving easy, even if you don't have time to plan out your schedule.
Local utility rebates may also help make the thermostat more affordable.
When friends walk past my Nest Learning Thermostat Gen 4 for the first time, they often stop and stare. The thermostat can detect nearby movement and lights up with a beautiful display of the outside weather, like setting suns or shifting rain animations. That beauty comes at a cost, nearly $300 when not on sale, making it one of the most expensive smart thermostats I recommend.
So why take the plunge? Because Nest's Eco modes are so effective that my Nest smart thermostat paid for itself at the start of the cooler fall season with electricity savings -- and I barely had to do anything except set it up. Here's how it all works, and why I'm glad I kept this Nest smart thermostat around.
Read more: One Tiny Gadget Is the Unsung Hero of Today's Smart, Energy-Saving Home
My experience with the Nest Learning Thermostat Gen 4
... continue reading