Should We Install Free Nest Thermostats

Question

Does anybody in Property Management have any experience with these? In Kansas City the local power company is having a program that residents can get these installed for free as long as they have permission from their landlord.

We have had a few requests and we might encourage our residents to do more but I don't have any experience with these from a property management perspective and what to know what potential issues the might cause or what benefits they may have.

Shaun C. · Answer

@Sam Shueh

Are you serious? You obviously don't know about these thermostats. They don't run on battery, they run on a common wire from your furnace. And they definitely DO NOT require any type of coding skills to work. Why are you spreading this kind of misinformation around? They only save $5-8 a month during your most temperate time of year? What about when people are actually using their AC's...Do you work for an electric company?

Sam Shueh · Answer

Maintenance issue. It is developed here. Everything sounds so good until battery dies. One needs to call a professional to trouble shoot cost $125 for a battery replacement.

I think they estimated for a 1500 sf home the winter monthly cost savings is $5-8 in west coast. Our utility company which covers Nest development office suggests better insulation, furnace and air duct leakage as most household, apartments have an appreciable leakage issue.

Rich Kniss · Answer

@Phillip Syrios I don't have any experience with this, but this is an interesting topic. It made me do some research, which is always good.  I think the general consensus on-line is having the option is a good idea.

First, I applaud renters and owners alike that want to pursue energy saving strategies. An engaged tenant would likely to stay longer as they see the landlord as in their court, helping reduce their energy bills.

My concern would be that if it's a hot day and the tenant is not cool enough, are they going to think the air conditioner is not working satisfactorily and call on a maintenance request, particularly if the air conditioner unit is a little older. Another concern is that you have given away control to the utility company, even though they may allow a certain number of "overrides" per year.

There is no substitute for good continuous insulation, energy efficient windows and a high SEER rating on mechanical equipment, but this may a step in the right direction. I wonder what else landlords could do beyond this device to create a win/win. Something as basic as regularly scheduled filter replacement, programmable thermostats, solar window film, or even something more significant like incorporating solar panels. It's a hot topic with millennials and others. It could be a way to attract tenants a differentiate your units from other by marketing the energy efficiency strategies of the home.  New build statistics show people will pay more for this type of home. I'd assume you could also justify a higher rent depending on the level of improvements. Food for thought.

Michael Glaser · Answer

Which power company?

Stanley Choung · Answer

I've used these thermostats in my rentals in Florida for AC and my own home for AC and heat.

The thermostats have a rechargeable battery that steal power from the HVAC. Some HVAC setup don't supply the enough power so you have to get an electrician to run a dedicated wire for it. If you call Nest, they will actually pay for the change.

They don't require internet but you can't use most of the energy saving features (remote control, power saving rebates when linked to local utilities)

The dials are heavy and there's a lot of twisting. They can get sticky from use and tenants can pop them off and drop them.

I think if the utilities are subsidizing and your long-term tenants get them, then it's a push for landlords. They don't cost you anything and expense-wise don't matter.

The real advantage of these units is for STRs but that's a whole different story.

Joshua Ibarra · Answer

I have had great success with it so far. I have it in my current house in KCMO and in a rental.  I personally like it, although I would never pay for it. With it being free from KCPL, it cost me nothing. The tenant loves it as they can program it from their phone and save energy.

No issues so far but have only had the renter for 4 months but it doesn't run on battery so I doubt there will be any issues but I also self manage my properties.  I installed both devices myself and it took 10 minutes max. The Nest makes it simple to work on and their customer service is great for addressing issues.

Thanks,

Sam Shueh · Answer

The trouble shooting error msgs are not clear or problematic.  If your tenant wants them and they are free by all means.   It takes some coding skills to work with smart phone.  My wife will certainly not wanting to learn it.  She was a network manager so she is not computer illiterate.

Phillip Syrios · Answer

@Sam Shueh

Can you elaborate? Are the batteries hard to replace to you need to get a special technician out there? Are they expensive? Do they break often and need more calls? Im a little confused by what you mean.

Should We Install Free Nest Thermostats

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