Nest Thermostat E offers energy-saving features at half the expected price

If you’ve been interested in the Nest’s ability to save you hundreds each year on your energy bill, but couldn’t quite stand the taste of its $249 (£279) price tag, you’re in luck: there’s a brand-new entry-level model that does everything the original can at half the price.

The new model is called the Nest Thermostat E. According to the smart thermostat maker, it’ll cost only $169 and arrive just in time for the approaching winter months up here in the northern hemisphere.

Now winter, is obviously the most practical season to use a Nest Learning Thermostat but, as it turns out, it’s also the inspiration behind the Nest Thermostat E’s design: The new learning thermostat is covered in a frosted glass exterior (an industry-first according to Nest), and a white ring will now encompasses the outer edge of the display.

The display is not only a unique distinguishing aesthetic feature but, apparently, also a practical one as well.

The frosted display uses an ambient light sensor to share information at just the right brightness – which means, when the display is off, the screen is grey, and when it’s on, it’ll use be just the right brightness. And of course, when no one’s home, both the sensor and the system itself will shut off completely.

Affordable energy control

While the design of the unit might feel a bit unfamiliar, the Nest Thermostat E remains the same great energy-saving product you’ve always known.

To that end, the thermostat ships with a pre-set schedule that should fit for the majority of folks, but that schedule can be morphed and modified either by your own wishes through the Nest app, or via Nest’s learning algorithm that detects when everyone is out of the house and shuts down the system accordingly.

Should you want to integrate the Nest Thermostat E into your existing smart home armada, that’s no problem – just like the original, the new Thermostat E works with both major smart speakers, the Amazon Echo and Google Home, as well as any product in the Works with Nest ecosystem.

The best part? It’s available right now via Nest’s website.