Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced: Features, Install and Savings

The ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced is a mid-tier smart thermostat that delivers most of ecobee’s core comfort and energy-saving features at a lower price than the flagship Premium model. It targets homeowners who want reliable scheduling, phone control and utility savings without paying for extras like a built-in air quality monitor. This guide walks through what it does, how to install it, and how to get real savings from it.

What the Enhanced Model Is

The Enhanced sits between the discontinued ecobee3 lite and the premium flagship. It has a crisp full-color touchscreen, built-in Wi-Fi, and works with a single included SmartSensor that reads temperature and occupancy in a second room. Retail price runs about $150 to $170, roughly $80 less than the Premium. It works with Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit and Samsung SmartThings.

Key Features at a Glance

• SmartSensor included: One remote room sensor for temperature and motion, so the system averages comfort across rooms instead of just the hallway where the thermostat sits.
• Smart Recovery: Pre-heats or pre-cools so your target temperature is reached exactly at the scheduled time.
• eco+ software: Free optimization that shifts runtime to cheaper, cleaner energy windows and adapts to your habits.
• Radio support: Wi-Fi plus a low-power thread/Zigbee-style radio for sensor communication.
• Voice and app control: Full remote control from the ecobee app on iOS and Android.

Enhanced vs Premium

The Premium adds a built-in air quality sensor, a smart microphone with Alexa and Siri responses played through the device speaker, and a nicer zinc bezel. The Enhanced drops those but keeps the same heating and cooling control, the same eco+ savings engine, and the same sensor support. For most homes, the Enhanced captures 90% of the value at a lower cost. If you want hands-free voice from the thermostat itself or indoor air monitoring, step up to Premium.

Compatibility Check Before You Buy

Ecobee works with most 24-volt central HVAC systems, including gas furnaces, heat pumps, and multi-stage systems up to two-stage heat and two-stage cool. The catch is the C-wire (common wire), which provides continuous power. Run ecobee’s online compatibility checker using your existing thermostat’s wire labels. If you lack a C-wire, the box includes a Power Extender Kit (PEK) that installs at the furnace control board to supply power without running new wire.

Tools and Time Needed

• Small flat and Phillips screwdrivers
• Smartphone with the ecobee app installed
• Optional drill and wall anchors for the mounting plate
• Masking tape and a pen to label wires

Budget 30 to 45 minutes for a standard swap, or 60 to 90 minutes if you need to install the Power Extender Kit at the furnace.

Step-by-Step Installation

1. Kill the power: Turn off the breaker or furnace switch that feeds your HVAC. Confirm the old thermostat screen is dark.
2. Photograph and label wires: Take a clear photo of the existing wiring, then tape and label each wire by its terminal letter (R, C, W, Y, G, and so on).
3. Remove the old thermostat: Unclip the faceplate and unscrew the backplate. Wrap the wire bundle around a pencil so it does not fall into the wall.
4. Mount the ecobee backplate: Level it, mark holes, drill if needed, and secure. Feed wires through the center opening.
5. Connect wires: Press each labeled wire into its matching terminal. If no C-wire exists, install the Power Extender Kit at the furnace per the included diagram.
6. Attach the thermostat: Snap the display onto the backplate until it clicks.
7. Restore power and configure: Turn the breaker back on. The screen boots, then the on-screen wizard and the app walk you through Wi-Fi, equipment detection and scheduling.

Placing the SmartSensor

Put the included sensor in the room where comfort matters most and where the thermostat cannot see, such as a bedroom or a home office. Mount it at seated or sleeping height, away from direct sun and vents. In Follow Me mode, ecobee heats and cools based on rooms where it detects people, avoiding wasted energy in empty spaces.

Setting Up Schedules and Comfort Profiles

Ecobee uses Comfort Settings called Home, Away and Sleep. Assign a target temperature to each, then drop them onto a weekly calendar in the app. A common efficient setup is 68°F while home in winter, 62°F asleep, and 58°F away. In summer, try 76°F home, 78°F asleep, and 82°F away. Smart Recovery brings the house to target before you wake, so you never feel the setback.

How eco+ Saves Money

The free eco+ features layer on top of your schedule. Community Energy Savings shifts runtime out of peak-demand hours. Time of Use aligns heating and cooling with cheaper electricity rates if your utility offers them. Feels Like adjusts for humidity so you stay comfortable at a slightly higher summer setpoint. Ecobee estimates users save around 20% on heating and cooling per year, though real savings depend on climate, rates and habits.

Common Setup Problems

• No power / blank screen: Almost always a missing C-wire. Install the Power Extender Kit.
• Heat pump wired backward: If heat blows cold, the reversing valve (O/B) setting is inverted; toggle it in equipment settings.
• Sensor offline: Pull the plastic battery tab and keep the sensor within about 45 feet of the thermostat.
• Wi-Fi drops: The device uses 2.4 GHz; make sure your router band is reachable.

Maintenance and Long-Term Use

The SmartSensor uses a CR-2032 coin battery that lasts up to five years; replace it when the app warns you. Keep the thermostat firmware updated, which happens automatically over Wi-Fi. Ecobee’s HomeIQ dashboard shows monthly runtime and system health so you can spot a failing furnace or a dirty filter early.

Adding More SmartSensors

The Enhanced includes one SmartSensor, but you can pair up to 32 across the system, sold in two-packs for around $80. Each sensor reads temperature and occupancy in its room, and ecobee averages the readings from occupied rooms to decide when to run the system. Adding sensors to a nursery, a home office and a far bedroom evens out comfort in homes where one room always runs hot or cold. In Follow Me mode, the thermostat prioritizes rooms where it detects people, so an empty guest room no longer drives your heating and cooling.

Using the ecobee App and HomeIQ

The ecobee app is where you manage schedules, comfort settings and remote control, but the HomeIQ dashboard is the hidden gem. It logs how long your system runs each day, compares your usage to similar homes, and estimates your monthly runtime and savings. Over a season, this data reveals whether a room needs another sensor, whether your setpoints are too aggressive, or whether the system is running longer than it should, an early warning of a dirty filter, low refrigerant or failing equipment. Checking HomeIQ monthly helps you fine-tune both comfort and cost.

Works With Your HVAC Type

The Enhanced supports a wide range of systems: single and two-stage gas, oil and electric furnaces, single and two-stage air conditioners, heat pumps with auxiliary heat, and dual-fuel setups that pair a heat pump with a furnace. It does not directly control high-voltage baseboard or line-voltage systems, which need a different thermostat entirely. For heat pumps, the correct O/B reversing valve setting is critical; get it backward and the system heats when you want cooling, so double-check that setting during setup.

Is It Worth It?

For homeowners upgrading from a basic programmable or dial thermostat, the value is strong: the included sensor, free savings software, and clean app make it one of the best mid-range picks. Skip it only if you specifically need the air quality monitor or on-device voice assistant that the Premium offers.

In short, the ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced gives you multi-room comfort, automatic energy optimization and a straightforward DIY install for around $160. Confirm your wiring, use the Power Extender Kit if you lack a C-wire, place the sensor thoughtfully, and lean on eco+ to trim your annual heating and cooling costs by up to a fifth.