Yonomi Blog

5 Things You Should Know About the ecobee API

Written by Wilson Hughes | Sep 3, 2022 12:16:15 PM

ecobee API

ecobee has one of the most popular lines of smart thermostats in the US today.  If you're building a solution that includes residential thermostat management and control, ecobee is also a top choice for property managers and short-term rental vacation owners.  This article will walk through some of the most important features of the ecobee API that make it a great choice for your business.

5 Things You Should Know About the ecobee API

  1. ecobee's API allows you to control thermostat mode and temperature from a custom app experience

    ecobee provides a fantastic app for homeowners to use to control their thermostats, whether they're at home or away.  But if you're managing  properties, expecting tenants and guests to download an app and create an account for every smart home device to which they'll have access is a tall order.  ecobee's API allows property managers to build a single app experience into which thermostat mode and temperature control can live alongside other important features such as wifi information, local destinations, bill payment, or other features.  This convenience adds a ton of value for guests and tenants.    

  2. See and be notified of thermostat changes as they happen

    ecobee's API allows your app to be built so tenants can see thermostat changes as they happen.  This can be convenient in cases where multiple tenants/guests control a thermostat.  If one tenant makes a change to the thermostat either directly at the unit or through the app, the other tenants can see that change immediately.  This is also convenient when you want to notify an owner or others in real-time when a space has reached a target/goal temperature. 

  3. Reduce your energy bill with proactive climate management

    ecobee thermostats support smart, sophisticated features for automatically managing climate based on its ability to sense when a unit is occupied, season of year, and owner control habits.  It can also support a schedule for climate management if you don't want to rely on the smart features.  But what if you are managing a vacation rental property?  Guests have wildly different preferences - and schedules - that they want for managing their space.  The ecobee API allows you to extend control to tenants through the custom app support features, but it can also be used to turn off/on a HVAC system when guests check out, ensuring the unit is not heating/cooling a space that's not being used.  You can use inputs from other systems such as smart locks or property management systems to automate turning off an ecobee thermostat when a guest has checked out.  This approach takes advantage of multiple systems to ensure a unit isn't wasting energy to heat/cool an unoccupied unit. 

  4. Improve guest experience by cooling or heating your property for arrival

    If you're managing a vacation rental property or showing a vacant rental unit, the first impression has a major impact on tenant/guest experience.  With the ecobee API you can automatically pre-cool or pre-heat a space based on inputs from a scheduling or property management system.  You can also stop heating/cooling a space after the visit.  This approach ensures the first impression isn't hindered by climate challenges in the space.


  5. Manage multiple thermostats from a single screen

    The ecobee API allows you to create user experiences for managing thermostats, and that's not limited to tenant experience.  If you're managing multiple properties, you can use the API to build management dashboards that allow you to visualize, manage and control thermostat temperature across all of them from a single screen.


About Yonomi: Yonomi provides a single API that supports control of ecobee thermostats, Schlage Encode locks, and other leading smart home devices that create efficiencies for property managers and short-term vacation rental owners.

Want to know how to integrate with the ecobee? Access the Yonomi Developer Platform and documentation to see just how easy integrating with the ecobee API through Yonomi. You can also see what customers have to say here.

Ready to talk? Schedule a time in our diary so that we can understand your unique business requirements and if Schlage Encode and the Yonomi Platform is a fit for your needs.

Check out our other posts on Integrating smart devices such as How to integrate and ecobee Smart Thermostat:

How to integrate a Schlage Encode Smart Lock
How to Integrate a Honeywell Thermostat
How to Integrate an Ecobee Smart Thermostat
Best Smart Devices for Vacation Rentals 2022
Best Smart Devices for Multifamily