So this is a "little" rule I put together to announce on my Fully Kiosk tablets and send me an email when one of the other home occupants decides to start air conditioning the neighborhood. This definitely does not score highly on the WAF...
This runs whenever the AC/heat starts or when a door/window is opened. If the AC is on and the window is open, it will wait 30 s, test for both again, then complain on three tablets and my email. The HAF is way up with this one, but WAF not so much. She doesn't like getting scolded by technology. However, I think getting scolded by technology works out better for me, since if I scolded her the WAF would be much worse overall. My one adjustment was to avoid any announcements during potential sleep hours. That could have deadly consequences...
I approach it a bit differently. I have a rule that turns the AC off if any of the windows/doors are open (the rule also sets the AC based on alarm status).
If you are using an Ecobee @storageanarchy solution does all this with the contact sensor monitoring. I have mine to shut off the ecobee if any of the Windows our doors are left open for 5 min. If all doors and windows are closed for 1 minute the hvac is turned back on. Really love the solution overall.
Totally agree with @aaron. Although I no longer have an ecobee, this functionality can be duplicated in node-red or rule machine for any other Hubitat-connected thermostat.
Totally unobtrusive, automates the process of conserving energy, and no one needs to get annoyed.
That's an interesting solution. I'm not sure about how I feel with nobody getting annoyed. Higher HAF when someone gets annoyed after leaving a window or door open while heating/cooling the house. That would be a better solution for automation, I'm just not sure how far into automation we'll get.
My issue was the household leaving windows and doors open resulting in significant higher electric bills. Using the ecobee suite app I also have PushOver notifications go to all mobile devices stating the HVAC is off due to XYZ door/window being open. This prompts folks to actively contribute to the home's comfort level and also help the family stay within budget for electricity.
So there are some great ideas that caused me to rewrite this rule. Now it bugs people up to 3 times, and then just changes the temp settings if windows/doors are still left open. I didn't want to completely shut off the heat in case a sensor fails or something isn't quite closed while we're away. Would be bad if pipes froze. I figure 50 F is cold enough, and 85 F is plenty hot. I doubt people will be tempted to leave windows open with AC running if it's 85+ degrees.
I love that this will go ahead and take care of the problem all by itself if the reminders are ignored. Thanks everyone for the suggestions!
