Program Eligibility
- Your business must receive commercial electric service through Xcel Energy and have a rooftop central air conditioning or central heat pump system. The building where thermostats will be installed must be located in Minnesota. Evaporative coolers, ductless mini-split heat pumps, window units, and chiller plants do not qualify.
- You must have access to a WiFi network that can communicate with the ecobee3 lite.
- You will be asked to accept the Terms and Conditions of Xcel Energy’s AC Rewards for Business program and register your new ecobee smart thermostats.
- There is no limit to the number of smart thermostats you can have installed as long as they each control a separate air conditioning unit.
Program Requirements
- By agreeing to participate in the AC Rewards for Business program and receiving free ecobee3 lite smart thermostats, you also agree to let Xcel Energy make small adjustments to your thermostat (for no longer than four hours) on very hot days when the electric grid is at peak, also known as “events.”
- If your business already participates in the Business Saver's Switch program and you choose to receive a thermostat installation, your business’s Saver’s Switch will be deactivated or removed for the duration of your enrollment. You will no longer receive your Saver's Switch bill credit.
- If you use eco+ on a device that is enrolled in AC Rewards, you must maintain a savings preference setting of 2 or above. Any eco+ enabled device with a savings preference of 1 will be treated as an offline device and will be subject to the program rules described above.
- You will own the smart thermostat(s) after participating in the program for two years. If you terminate your participation in the program prior to two years from your enrollment date, you may incur fees for the initial installation.
About AC Rewards for Business
- AC Rewards for Business allows Xcel Energy make small adjustments to your thermostat (for no longer than four hours) on very hot days when the electric grid is at peak, also known as “events.”
- You have the option to opt out of as many voluntary events as needed, meaning you can cancel the event at your thermostat or on your mobile device and return to your normal comfort settings. Xcel Energy reserves the right to remove customers from the program who opt out too frequently.
- The smart thermostat installed must be replacing a thermostat that directly controls HVAC equipment.
- All thermostats must remain online and communicating with Xcel Energy's systems. If a device is determined to be offline for an extended period of time, you will be notified and given the opportunity to reconnect it. If the device is not brought back online after you are notified, the device will be subject to removal from the program, and you will no longer receive bill credits for that device. Additional charges may apply.
- CEE is an Xcel Energy authorized installer of smart thermostats.