Honeywell Chosen by Consumers as the Overall Best Brand of Programmable Thermostats in the United States

Honeywell's Programmable Thermostats Edge Out Competing Products in Features,
Rates Favorably on Other Factors

In Frost & Sullivan’s survey of 1,013 U.S. homeowners, 646 owned programmable
thermostats and rated various brands on several specific points. Homeowners
using Honeywell programmable thermostats rate their thermostats higher than
users of any other major brand. “Honeywell users appreciate the features offered
by its brand – 33 percent cite that having the ‘best features’ is their main
reason for using Honeywell, compared to nine percent among users of other brands
stating the same,” said Christina Alfaro Research Analyst with Frost &
Sullivan’s Customer Research Team. “Supporting Honeywell’s overall best rating
is that it rated well for other factors too, such as ease-of-use, energy
efficiency, and cost savings.”

Honeywell conducts extensive – and on-going – customer research to ensure the
products they develop are simple-to-install and are easy-to-use. For instance,
their Prestige™ programmable thermostat incorporates a patented, interview-based
interface that walks a homeowner through the set-up process by asking a series
of questions, such as “what time does the first person wake-up in the morning?”
or “what time do you go to sleep at night?” The answers help the thermostat
program itself – no owner’s manual is needed. The graphic user interface
displays information in an easy-to-understand format, the on-board user’s manual
provides definitions and directions for each display screen and can be
customized to display in English, French or Spanish.

Some Honeywell programmable thermostats also have the ability to wirelessly
communicate to accessory devices using the company’s RedLINK™ technology, the
first wireless protocol developed exclusively for the HVAC industry. The
thermostat can be used with an outdoor sensor that sends a signal to the
thermostat to display outdoor temperature and humidity on the home screen. This
makes it simple for the homeowner to get access to that information.
Finally, Honeywell thermostats are among the few thermostats that have been
qualified under the National Electrical Manufacturer Association's (NEMA) new
ENERGY AWARE™ program. When properly installed and used as directed, Honeywell
estimates that homeowner’s can cut annual heating and cooling cost up to 33
percent – or by $200 each year – depending on geographic location.

“Honeywell thermostats are designed for consumers – by consumers – who are
looking for the ultimate in comfort control,” said John Tyhacz, vice president
and general manager for Honeywell’s home comfort and energy systems business.
“They are easy-to-use and help homeowners make better decisions about their
energy use.”