NRG Retail Suppliers No Longer Offering Nest Thermostat in Northeast, As Direct Energy Set to Launch Offers

NRG Energy's retail suppliers are no longer offering to Northeast U.S. customers an electricity supply offer that includes a bundled Nest Learning thermostat, as NRG said that a provision providing NRG with exclusivity to offer the Nest learning thermostat in all of the competitive residential electricity markets that it serves has expired.

Specifically, NRG Residential Solutions and Green Mountain Energy are no longer offering a Nest thermostat bundle to customers in the Northeast. Reliant and Green Mountain Energy continue to offer Texas customers a Nest bundle, as NRG said that it has exclusive rights to sell the Nest thermostat to customers in Texas through its retail companies.

NRG told EnergyChoiceMatters that, "NRG is a leader in developing innovative solutions that make customers’ lives easier and give them greater insight and control over how they use electricity. We have exclusive rights to sell the Nest thermostat to customers in Texas through our retail companies – Reliant and Green Mountain Energy."

"We are meeting our customers’ needs through innovative plans, options and services and there is not just one solution when it comes to meeting those needs. We offer personalized energy solutions and continue to innovate to bring the best products and services to our customers. Until recently, NRG had exclusivity to offer the Nest learning thermostat in all of the competitive residential electricity markets that we serve. NRG will no longer sell the Nest thermostat in the Northeast, we will continue to deliver smart energy options that improve our customers’ lives," NRG said.

Direct Energy recently announced that it would begin offering a Nest thermostat product bundle to customers in various U.S. markets in June.

Asked specifically whether Direct's new relationship with Nest provides it with exclusivity in the Northeast retail choice markets, Direct did not explicitly address, by neither affirming nor denying, whether an exclusivity provision exists, but told EnergyChoiceMatters that, "Direct Energy’s partnership with Nest represents a substantial commitment by Direct Energy to bring Nest’s Learning Thermostat to its key markets in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, New England, and Canada."

As the Nest Learning thermostat can be purchased by customers directly at various retail and online stores, it is unclear what exclusivity provides to Nest's various retail supplier partners, but we presume that it relates to participation in certain Nest-administered load response programs. Despite any exclusivity provisions, we can see no impediment to any retail supplier independently offering a free Nest thermostat which it purchases itself at retail and merely provides to the customer as an enrollment bonus.