Should You Use Eco Mode on Nest? 5 Crucial Things To Know

Eco mode is a great way of saving money on your utility bill every month and keeping your heating and cooling system from running all the time.

We all love to have our home at the perfect temperature, but eco mode can give you a comfortable range. 

You should use Eco Mode on Nest to regulate your home temperature and save yourself money. You can set the high and low temperatures to wherever they’re most comfortable or keep them far apart to save the most money. 

There are some important things to know before you get started with Eco Mode. So, let’s go over some things that you need to know. 

Important Things To Know About Using Eco Mode on Nest

Eco Mode can save you a lot of money on your heating and cooling.

In fact, it allows you to control just how much money and energy you save throughout the hot and cold months.

But there are still some important factors to keep in mind when setting up Eco Mode that are vital for you to understand. So, let’s discuss them. 

1. Eco Mode Can Be Set To Come On Automatically or Manually

Eco Mode is a great way to save on your electric bill every month as it’ll regulate your home temperature and keep your system from running constantly.

However, it doesn’t need to be set to Eco Mode all the time.

In fact, it’s common for Nest users to set up Eco Mode only when they aren’t at home. 

You can set your Nest to activate Eco Mode when it detects that no one is home.

This will help save energy and costs when you aren’t at home.

There isn’t much need for keeping your home at the same temperature even when you aren’t there.

So, it’s common to set Eco Mode when there’s no one home. 

However, that’s not the only time it can be used.

You can also set Eco Mode to be active for an extended period of time whether you’re on vacation or just want to save some extra money.

Your Nest app allows you to select the duration of time you’d like to use Eco Mode, and normal heating and cooling will resume after the time elapses. 

2. Pay Attention to the Temperatures You’re Selecting

You want to ensure that the temperatures that you’re selecting are a wide enough range to conserve energy.

Try just a few degrees to maintain a temperature you are used to, but if you’re trying to save money, then you need to try something a little more drastic. 

Eco Mode on Nest has a wide variety of temperatures available for you, depending on your preference.

In fact, you can allow your home to reach as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.44°C) or as high as 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.22°C), depending on your preference.

But these are just the extreme temperatures.

Take the time to find the right temperature for your comfort. 

Nest has a helpful icon for choosing temperatures that will save energy and money.

When you’re choosing an Eco Mode temperature setting, look for a little leaf to appear on the screen.

This leaf indicates that you are choosing a setting that’ll save energy. 

3. Nest Allows You To Monitor Energy Usage To See Progress

Each month, Nest gives you a summary of what your energy usage looked like for the previous month.

This helps you stay on top of how much energy you are saving and the times that you use the most energy.

This feature can help you a lot with Eco Mode. 

Sometimes, the hardest part about saving energy is that we don’t immediately get to see it reflected in how much we pay.

Well, Nest can help change that with monthly progress available in the app.

Nest will break down how long heating or cooling ran for that day and during what periods they ran.

So, you can see the progress almost right away. 

This progress tracking can also help you capitalize on the Eco Mode benefits of saving energy and money because it’ll show you the times when you use the most energy.

So, check back to previous months to see when your home uses unnecessary energy and use Eco Mode to keep those times at a minimum.

Then, track your progress each month and watch the time improve. 

4. Don’t Be Afraid of Trial and Error

Adjusting the temperature in your home is never an easy thing to do.

There’s always a chance of aiming too high or too low with wanted temperatures.

We all want to save some money, but there will be times when you come home and are met with too much heat or cold. 

This happens with Eco Mode because sometimes we don’t actually know how our home feels at those temperatures.

60 degrees in a carpeted room will feel a lot different from 60 degrees in a room with a high ceiling and wood floors.

So, set the temperatures however high or low you want them, but don’t be afraid to make adjustments along the way. 

5. Eco Mode Can Be Set to Off, So No Energy Is Used

When using Eco Mode, one of the best parts is that the temperature can be set to a range based on how warm or cool we want our home.

But Eco Mode also offers an Off option.

No, this doesn’t mean that Eco Mode itself is turned off. Rather than when Eco Mode is being used, your heating and cooling system will not turn on. 

This is especially useful for those months without extreme heat or cold.

If you’re confident that your home will remain at a reasonable temperature throughout the day, then this may be the right setting for you, at least temporarily. 

So, during those comfortable months in the spring and fall, when temperatures are more predictable, Eco Mode can simply ensure that your system doesn’t come on when you aren’t home. 

Final Thoughts

Eco Mode is an innovative way to save money and conserve energy in your home.

It’s especially useful for the hours that you aren’t at home and the months when the outside temperature is regular. So, don’t be afraid to give it a try, and don’t forget to monitor your progress monthly in the Nest app.