We've all been there. Sat, just after midnight at your PC, shivering because the heating's not on. You wrap a blanket around you, but you know that at some point you'll need to turn the heating on, because you're nowhere near done with your work for the evening.
What you need is something that will save you getting up, because getting up is cold. You need the Ecobee - a Wi-Fi thermostat. It syncs with a web server, so you can control your heating from afar - turn it on before you leave work, for example. It could even adjust the heating depending on what the weather conditions are like outside - if it knows there's a cold snap coming, for example.
Utilities could also send alerts to the consumer, asking them to turn down their heating if they're using too much electricity, or providing energy-saving tips. It can also hook up to a flood sensor, so a customer could be notified if their house floods or gets too cold (implying you've left open a window).
The Ecobee will be shipping in Q2 2009, and cost US$385 - about £240. No word on UK availability, but I would love one of these. Hell yeah - I want to wake up at 6am with my laptop, turn the heating on without having to leave the safety of my duvet, then go back to sleep for an hour while the house warms up.
Ecobee (via Ars Technica)
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What about using a 20-30-USD worth of thermostate in your heating/cooling system and spending your time/money on something more sensible while system runs/stops by itself?
Fair point - this certainly isn't for everyone :)