The benefits of smart home technology run deep, and invested homeowners know that it goes beyond maintaining a comfortable temperature. It means real, measurable energy savings.

Quilt, an all-electric, two-zone, ductless, rebate-eligible heat pump remains a leader in the HVAC industry, continuing to offer homeowners a more thoughtful, smarter way to manage their indoor environments. 

Most climate control systems are notorious for wasting energy while heating and cooling, but Quilt just launched two new advancements that could significantly reduce your monthly energy bills. The updates — Auto-Away and Energy Usage — go beyond cameras and traditional presence detection. 

Smart Systems Improve Energy Efficiency and Enhance Comfort Levels

“There is one system that dominates energy use in the home: heating and cooling. HVAC is responsible for 70% of all fossil fuel use in the home. [This energy] is responsible for 20% of greenhouse gas emissions. That’s more than cars," notes Paul Lambert, CEO and Co-Founder of Quilt. 

The company raised a $9M seed round and $33 Series A, and excitement around the product has been palpable in the last year. 

It's designed by industry veterans from Google, Apple, and Nest, and co-led by Energy Impact Partners and Galvanize Climate Solutions, with participation from Lowercarbon Capital, Gradient Ventures, MCJ Collective, Garage Capital, Incite Ventures, and Drew Scott.

"If we want to accelerate the energy transition we need all-electric, really fantastic, 21st-century smart heating and cooling systems," adds Lambert. "The good news is that the modern technology already exists. That said, today's heat pumps lack great design and are difficult and stressful to adopt. Quilt’s home heating and cooling system is smarter, sleeker, and more efficient than anything else on the market today.”

He goes on to underscore the opportunity for homeowners, citing that heat pumps can reach 300% to 400% energy efficiency. In simpler terms, this means they’re putting out 3-4x as much energy for annual heating as they’re using in electricity.

Why Switch to a Heat Pump

"Heat pumps are 3 to 4 times as efficient as traditional furnaces (gas or electric) and Quilt is at the very top of that range," notes Lambert. "Independent studies have found that 80-95% of Americans would save on their energy bills by switching to a typical heat pump; we expect Quilt to be even higher due to our category-leading, real-world efficiency."

But savings and a reduction in energy waste aren't the only reason people are excited about Quilt. Smart home climate control is important to many, and Quilt enables a healthier and more comfortable home across the board. 

"80% of Americans with central systems struggle with hot or cold spots, and Quilt solves this with its room-by-room control," adds Lambert. "Quilt gives homeowners a level of control over their own home they have never experienced before."

Cutting-Edge Technology That Differentiates Quilt

Energy-efficient heating and cooling systems directly correlate to a home's energy cost. Quilt's newest releases, Auto-Away and Energy Usage leverage proprietary, radar-based technology that brings intelligent sensing to any room in the home. This is a first-of-its-kind advancement towards smart HVAC.

"You can't be the perfect manager of everything in your life, including your home," says Claire Gagne, Head of Product at Quilt. "Kids leave the AC running, people forget to adjust settings before trips, life gets busy, and all of that translates to wasted money conditioning empty rooms." 

She highlighted research showing that rooms are empty about half of the time, adding, "Why should homeowners have to carry the stress of remembering every thermostat setting when smart technology can just handle automatic adjustments? Auto-Away removes that mental load entirely."

Similarly, Energy Usage tracks (in real time) energy consumption room-by-room, hour-by-hour, and day-by day to help homeowners understand opportunities for improvement.

Upon deploying Auto-Away in a test, a customer in the Bay Area reduced energy use by 44%, compared to previously keeping the home at a fixed temperature.

How do you switch from a gas furnace to a heat pump?

“The first thing you should expect when switching from a gas furnace to a heat pump is a whole new level of consistent comfort and control over your home. Each room will be at the perfect temperature–all without the use of fossil fuels," notes Lambert.

He adds, "There are two kinds of heat pumps: ducted (forced air conditioning) and ductless. Quilt is a ductless mini-split heat pump, which doesn’t require a home to have ducting to be installed. Installation is a non-invasive and simple installation process; Quilt will mount the indoor units in each room and connect them to the outdoor units through a refrigerant line. Installation is handled by Quilt’s expert team to make sure homes are treated with care and respect.”

Trying to Save Money on Heating Costs? Try This

Easy ways to make your home more energy efficient this winter.

Read More

How can I get Quilt?

If you're in the Bay Area, Boston, or Los Angeles, you're in luck. Further expansion is dependent on reservation volume, and currently on track in Portland, Seattle, and New York. So, tell your friends to make a reservation and help boost your hometown to the top of their install list.