Nest Renew: Save hundreds on electric with this smart thermostat feature
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Energy and electricity are essential to our daily lives, helping us power our appliances, smart devices, and lights and heat or cool our homes. A large portion of US energy production, such as the ones coming from coal and gas, leads to the release of greenhouse gases. These gasses negatively impact air quality and pollution and contribute to global warming.
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It’s easy to your Google Nest Thermostat to Wi-Fi once you know how — we include instructions for Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest Thermostat E
What is Nest Renew?
Nest Renew is a Google program for customers with a 3rd generation Nest Learning Thermostat, Nest Thermostat E, or the new Nest Thermostat connected to a Google account. This program helps users buy cleaner or cheaper electricity by shifting their energy usage to times when the grid is cleaner or energy prices are lower using the Energy Shift feature.
Everyone can take advantage of consuming cleaner electricity, but only those with time-of-use rates from certain utilities can take advantage of the cheaper energy advantage. This program helps buy cleaner electricity but cannot help with buying cleaner natural gas or other energy sources.
A time-of-use rate is a utility rate with different prices depending on the time of the day and time of year energy is consumed. The Nest Renew program may change your thermostat temperature when prices are higher and change it back when prices are lower. These adjustments can save you money over time through small fluctuations in your thermostat temperatures.
Shifting to more green energy is possible for anyone. Google does this by analyzing the cleanliness of the energy going into the user’s home and adjusting the thermostat, similar to how the program saves money. These two benefits work in unison for users with time-of-use rates since cleaner energy is often cheaper.
You can earn Power Leafs to help support an Energy Impact Program. Power Leafs are a participation credit you get by committing to monthly challenges and checking the portal daily to see how clean your grid is. When you get a certain number of Power Leafs, you reach milestones where you can cash in these Power Leafs to contribute to an Energy Impact Program.
Google has three categories of Energy Impact Programs: expanding clean energy access through GRID Alternatives, supporting clean energy careers through Dream.org, and increasing energy affordability through Elevate. These organizations are looking to further green energy. You help contribute to these goals by using your earned Power Leafs.
Where is Nest Renew available?
Nest Renew is a great program, but it isn’t available to everyone. Nest Renew is available to many compatible Nest Thermostat owners in the continental US (this doesn’t include Hawaii and Alaska). When you start the sign-up process, you are prompted to enter your zip code, and the form tells you if you’re in an eligible zip code.
What tiers does Nest Renew offer?
Nest Renew offers two tiers to its subscription: the Nest Renew Basic tier and Nest Renew Premium. Both tiers allow you to get cleaner electricity, save money by shifting your energy usage, and earn Power Leafs to redeem on Energy Impact Programs. New Renew Premium covers the electricity you consume with Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) for $10 per month so that you can claim the electricity you consume is renewable.
A REC is equivalent to a megawatt-hour of electricity produced from a renewable energy source. RECs can be used to cover electricity purchases from the grid so that a person or entity can claim they are buying renewable energy. Even if the physical electrons being used from the grid are not produced from a renewable energy source, money goes toward developing or maintaining a renewable energy source by buying a REC.
Most of the RECs for the Nest Renew Premium program come from the Bethel Wind Farm in Castro County, Texas, which provides RECs to Google. Any excess electricity those RECs do not cover comes from US solar sources.
How do you sign up for Nest Renew on the web?
Signing up for Nest Renew is simple. Make sure you have an eligible Nest Thermostat connected to your Google Account. To sign up on the web:
After enrolling in the program, you are walked through its different aspects. ClickNextto move through the informational screens and enroll in the Energy Shift program by clicking theTurn on Energy Shiftbutton on the appropriate screen.
You are also prompted to join theRush Hour Rewardsprogram if it’s available in your area. The Rush Hour Rewards program pays you to allow your utility to adjust your thermostat temperature a couple of degrees during times of high grid usage.
After going through the screens and enrolling in the programs you want, tap theDonebutton to get started with Nest Renew.
How do you sign up for Nest Renew on the Nest app?
Some Nest users may be invited to join the Nest Renew Basic program in the Nest app.
You are now enrolled in the Nest Basic program and will receive an email from Nest Renew.
What do I do on the website after I sign up?
Now that you’ve signed up, what is there to do? The Nest Renew website provides features to help you monitor the cleanliness of the energy on your grid and lets you earn and redeem your Power Leafs.
When you log in for the first time each day, you earn a Power Leaf by logging in and clicking theGet today’s Power Leafbutton at the top of the page. Beneath that, it shows how clean your current power is, with a chart showing your energy for the day.
Keep scrolling to see the number of energy shifts that occurred today, how close you are to your next milestone, and the challenge for the month. The bottom of the page shows you how you earned your last few groups of Power Leafs.
Making a green impact
The Nest Renew initiative represents a significant stride in enhancing the eco-friendliness of your energy consumption. Minor tweaks to your thermostat can lead to the use of more sustainable energy, along with potential savings. Nest Renew Premium offers the option to purchase Renewable Energy Credits, allowing you to offset your electricity use by investing in renewable energy sources.
If you have a Nest thermostat at home, you probably use the Google Home app to control it. If so, check out ourGoogle Home tipsto learn how the app works and to make the most out of it.
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