Who owns Ecobee, the smart home brand?

Smart home enthusiasts will likely recognize the name Ecobee for its smart thermostats that compete with Google Nest devices. The brand’s smart thermostat was ranked among the best by Consumer Reports. But Ecobee also offers smart home security devices, like cameras, video doorbells, and sensors. Given that it tends to provide products that are considered reliable and of good quality, it makes sense to look a little closer at the company behind the name and perhaps wonder who Ecobee actually owns, not to mention where its products are made and if any other companies are associated with it.

The short answer is that Ecobee is owned by Generac, which acquired the smart home company in 2021. However, Ecobee continues to operate as a separate brand. Generac is known for its commercial and home generators, but has evolved into a “total energy solutions” company with a family of brands including Ecobee, DR Power Equipment, Pramac, Wolverine Power Systems, and more. Generac Holdings Inc. trades on Nasdaq as GNRC and counts Blackrock and Vanguard among its investors. Ecobee’s headquarters is in Toronto, Canada, while its products are largely manufactured in Taiwan.

If you rank the top smart thermostats based on user reviews, Ecobee’s options perform well. Customers note that the devices are easy to configure and use. But as you probably know with most smart home devices, these technologies also collect and analyze user data. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent your smart devices from spying on you and sharing sensitive data with other parties. So it makes sense to dig a little deeper to understand how Ecobee manages customer data.

Ecobee says that a customer’s personal information and device data belongs to it and that it will delete that data upon request, either with an online form or through the Ecobee mobile app. The brand also explains that it secures and saves user information, using it only as necessary to provide the service. Additionally, Ecobee asks customers not to share sensitive information during transactions, via forms, or when using its products.

The company’s privacy policy reveals that some personal information is collected during product registration (like email, home address, and utility details) and that its devices collect operational data (a smart thermostat collects measurements on temperature and humidity, for example). Ecobee says this data is used to help its customers make informed decisions about using its products to manage heating and cooling and optimize energy bills. It also notes that this Ecobee product data may be used by third-party brands when integrations are enabled.