⚠️ Program details change frequently. BYOT enrollment amounts, qualifying thermostat lists, and program availability vary by utility and program year. Verify with your specific utility before enrolling.

If you already own a qualifying smart thermostat, many utilities will pay you a credit for linking it to their demand-response platform. This is the Bring Your Own Thermostat (BYOT) model. No new equipment, just an enrollment step.

What BYOT Means

Traditional utility thermostat programs required the utility to install or provide the device. BYOT programs flip this: if you already own an approved smart thermostat, you can enroll it directly with your utility and start earning credits.

The BYOT value proposition:
– You keep using your existing thermostat and app
– You link your thermostat account to your utility
– On peak demand days, the utility sends adjustment signals through your thermostat’s cloud platform
– You receive ongoing bill credits for participation

No new hardware. No technician visit. No equipment change.

What You Earn from BYOT

Program structures vary, but the typical model:

Incentive Typical Amount When Paid
Enrollment credit $25–$100 One-time, after verified enrollment
Annual / seasonal credit $20–$100 Each year or season of participation
Participation credit Per-event in some programs Based on how many events you participate in

Some BYOT programs offer only the seasonal credit with no enrollment bonus. Others, like some TVA EnergyRight affiliated programs, have offered larger enrollment amounts for qualifying thermostat models.

The financial benefit compounds: a $50 enrollment credit plus $40/year over 5 years adds up to $250 from a thermostat you already own.

Which Thermostats Qualify for BYOT

BYOT programs require your thermostat to:
1. Have Wi-Fi connectivity
2. Be on the utility’s approved device list
3. Have a cloud platform that the utility can communicate with (via API partnership)

Consistently qualifying across most US BYOT programs:
– ecobee Premium / Enhanced: broadest BYOT program coverage through eco+; enrolling is done in the ecobee app
– Google Nest Learning Thermostat / Nest Thermostat: eligible through Rush Hour Rewards and direct utility partnerships
– Honeywell Home T9 / T10 / Sensi: eligible in many Resideo-partnered utility programs
– Amazon Smart Thermostat: eligible in select programs; coverage is narrower

BYOT-eligible thermostat models: program coverage, enrollment method, qualifying utilities

How BYOT Enrollment Works

The process varies by program but follows a general pattern:

Via your thermostat’s app (most common):
1. Open your thermostat app (ecobee, Nest, Honeywell)
2. Navigate to Energy or Utility Programs
3. Your eligible local programs are listed automatically based on your location
4. Select the program and link your utility account
5. Credits begin accumulating once the enrollment is verified

Via your utility’s portal:
1. Log in to your utility’s website
2. Find the demand-response or BYOT enrollment page
3. Select your thermostat brand and model
4. Log in to your thermostat account to authorize the connection
5. Receive the enrollment confirmation and credit

Via the BYOT program’s own site:
Some programs (like ConnectedSolutions in the Northeast US) have their own enrollment portal, separate from both the utility website and the thermostat app.

What You Give Up (And What You Keep)

What the utility can do when enrolled:
– Send temperature adjustment signals on peak demand event days
– Adjust your cooling setpoint up 2–4°F for 2–4 hours per event
– View your thermostat’s temperature settings and schedule during events

What the utility cannot do:
– Access your home network or other devices
– Permanently change your schedule or settings
– Force the thermostat off entirely
– Override your manual controls

What you keep:
– Full manual override at any time (press the thermostat or use the app)
– Your normal schedule and settings on non-event days
– The ability to disenroll at any time
– Comfort limits (most programs let you set a threshold below which they won’t push)

Major BYOT Programs in the US

ConnectedSolutions (Northeast US)
Operated by utilities including National Grid, Eversource, and others across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York. Pays $75–$170 per season depending on event participation. See ConnectedSolutions Explained (Northeast Thermostat Rewards).

ConEd BYOT (New York)
Con Edison runs a BYOT program for New York City area customers. Enrollment through the ConEd website or ecobee/Nest apps.

Various BYOT programs through ecobee eco+
ecobee’s eco+ platform shows available utility programs for your location on its own. Most of these are effectively BYOT programs: you enroll your existing ecobee in the program and it manages events for you.

Nest Rush Hour Rewards
Google’s Rush Hour Rewards functions in a similar way to BYOT: existing Nest users enroll through the app and earn credits when their utility has a program. See Nest Rush Hour Rewards: Which Utilities & How Much.

Is BYOT Worth It?

For most homeowners with a qualifying thermostat in an area with a BYOT program, the answer is yes. The enrollment takes 15–30 minutes. The credits are passive: you don’t do anything on event days, the thermostat manages it. The adjustments are minor and fully overridable.

The main reasons not to enroll: your utility doesn’t offer a program, or you have medical or comfort needs that make temperature variability unacceptable.

If you’re buying a new thermostat specifically to qualify, factor the enrollment credit and ongoing annual credits into the payback calculation. In many cases, they shorten the payback period by a meaningful amount.

See Smart Thermostat Demand Response Programs: How to Earn Bill Credits for the full US program overview.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a new thermostat to participate in a BYOT program?
No, that’s the point of BYOT. If you already own a qualifying smart thermostat, you can enroll it and start earning credits without any new equipment purchase.

How do I know if my utility has a BYOT program?
Search your utility’s website for “demand response,” “thermostat program,” or “BYOT.” You can also check the ecobee app (Energy, then Utility Programs) or the Nest app energy settings; both show available programs for your location automatically.

Can I unenroll from a BYOT program if I don’t like it?
Yes. Disenrollment is straightforward, through your thermostat app or the utility’s portal. You’ll stop receiving credits going forward, but there are no penalties for leaving.

How many events happen per year?
Most BYOT programs run 10–30 events per year, mainly during summer cooling season (hot afternoons). Some Northeast programs also run winter heating events. Events are announced the day before or the morning of via app notification.

Does BYOT enrollment affect my thermostat’s normal operation?
Only during the few hours of an event, a handful of times per year. Your normal schedule and settings run unchanged on all other days. Overriding an event has no effect on your enrollment status in most programs.

Are there BYOT programs in Canada?
US programs are more developed. In Canada, Hydro-Québec’s Hilo platform functions in a similar way for Sinopé Zigbee thermostat owners. Some Ontario utilities have run demand-response programs with comparable structures. Check with your provincial utility for current availability.